Passing for Human
by Rynn
Summary: Tsubaki isn't entirely human, but she's cool with living her days as a human. Still, oil and water don't mix and Spirit World won't let her stay in the human world. Despite orders, Yusuke and the others refuse to arrest her. A figure from her past has other plans and Tsubaki doesn't know for how long she can stay as a human Eventual Kurama/OC. Villain to ally to something more
1. Off Limits

Hello YYH fans! This is my first YYH fic and I'm glad to see the fandom is still thriving for such an old show.

Taking a bit of a risk because Tsubaki isn't supposed to be particularly likeable in the beginning, which is the opposite of what you're supposed to do with OCs right? She's the hero of her story, but she's also going to butt heads with Spirit World and Team Urameshi.

* * *

 _No, stop it. Don't even think about it. He's too old for you._

Tsubaki was grateful, once again, that the three other people in the classroom were only human and couldn't read her thoughts.

In the classroom of an all-girls high school, Tsubaki, her best friend, classmate and her mentor met to discuss their upcoming competition season. Tsubaki had been picked to be the leader of their science competition team because her grade average was 0.01 higher than the girl who really wanted the job. Though Tsubaki hadn't asked for the title (or extra responsibility) she accepted the new role, honored to be picked by both her teacher and her mentor Tamuro-san.

Tamuro-san, her college-aged very off-limits mentor, folded up the sleeves of his black sweater, showing off toned milk-tea arms. Tsubaki had to peer away, scribbling a note of gibberish on her notebook to give her jittery hands an outlet.

This would be the start of many of her fantasies. But in those dreams, Mikata and Esumi, her best friend and classmate, wouldn't be sitting next to her.

They had squared away their questions and suggestions for the upcoming season and Tamuro assigned them the responsibility of finding a new girl to replace the third year girl who had since graduated. A new girl, preferably a first year, would bring them back up to six members in time for their first competition.

"A new girl, we'll find someone," said Tsubaki. She agreed but her to-do list was running out of space in her head. She had an essay to finish, house chores that were piling up, two upcoming exams, in addition to the multiplying duties as team leader…

"Oh, actually I think I might know someone perfect," said Esumi, sitting to Tsubaki's right. "I knew we had to find a replacement, so before the year began I asked around." Her slanted eyes fell on Tsubaki like a watch-light or at least, Tsubaki felt that exposed at the moment. _We get it, Esumi, you wanted the job as number one._

"Good job, Esumi-san," said Tamuro and Tsubaki stabbed a pencil hole through her paper.

"You'll do very well as second-in-command," Tsubaki added.

"I'm sure we'll work very well together," Esumi said.

 _Bitch_ , thought Esumi. Her bitterness stabbed into Tsubaki's mind like her pencil through her paper.

Mikata just whistled in her head and thankfully Tamuro hadn't noticed any of the toxicity in the room.

Tamuro ruffled his hair in mid thought, in a way Tsubaki found endearing. "And Tsubaki, your presentation was moved forward to this week. I was going to remind you last week, but you said you were done, right?"

More jitters, this time not from her smitten heart.

"Yes, Tamuro-san," Tsubaki said, flipping pages of her notes to seem productive. "I'm nearly finished. I mean it's done, for the most part, just adding the finishing touches."

 _Haven't started yet, have you?_ She didn't even have to enter the girls' minds to feel their disbelief in the air. Their suspicion prodded her from both sides.  
 _  
Damn, Mikata, you're supposed to be on my side._

Tsubaki half expected Tamuro to ask for more details but he nodded. _Good, she's ready_ , he thought.

Her knee hit the table with a nervous twitch. She hated lying, especially to dreamy Tamuro-san. Where she came from, you didn't lie. It was near impossible to lie. Her kind read minds and exchanged thoughts and it was far more efficient than human speech.

Tamuro glanced at the school clock and his watch, a cute habit of his. "Excellent, well on that note, I'm happy to draw this meeting to a close."

Tamuro flipped open his messenger bag, corners of notes stuck out of the bag folds and he shoved his notepad into the bag without even flipping the lid over. He waved goodbye to the girls, wishing good luck to Tsubaki for her presentation before leaving.

Esumi flipped her delicate wrist, also reading the time on her watch. "Good timing. My driver should be here. Yabu-chan, do you mind sending me the presentation by tomorrow morning so I can review it?"

And saturate the paper with so much red pen that if you twisted the paper like a towel you could squeeze out drops of ink? "Of course. I was going to ask if you wouldn't mind."

"You know I love reading your work," said Esumi with a smile that actually twinkled in the light, a smile that could fool anyone.

 _One thing I'll give you, Esumi, you're a better liar than I'll ever be._

Mikata stacked her books in her special order before setting them into her bag. "You were drooling the entire time Tamuro-san was talking," said Mikata long after Tamuro left and Esumi drove home.

"I only drool when I sleep," said Tsubaki.

Mikata frowned. "Do you have to utter every candid thing that pops into your head?"

"You know I hate lying."

"You told a big, fat one to your mentor," she said.

"It wasn't a lie. My presentation is done. In here," Tsubaki said, tapping her temple.

"I'm more surprised that you didn't try to use it as an opportunity to sneak more alone time with him," said Mikata.

Mikata didn't have to utter it all again, the lecture she had already given her: he's too old for you, it's unprofessional, even if he fancied you, you, the minor, are off-limits. Tsubaki promised up and down that she had no true intentions of trying _anything_. She only enjoyed his company, his cute mannerisms, his dark bed-head hair, the view of him only in a light t-shirt after he wriggled out of his black sweater when the classroom became too warm.

That aside, he didn't even fancy her. Not like that. As he thought once in the privacy of his own head, 'yeah, she's pretty cute, for a sixteen-year-old girl.' Tsubaki couldn't tell Mikata that Tamuro already fancied a girl at his uni, a short, adorable, curvy strawberry blonde girl, who always wore pencil skirts and shared his love for stringy natto and string theory.

It wasn't fair. Tsubaki's true age was much older than Tamuro. What did strawberry blonde girl have on her besides four human years?

"What are you up to after this?"

"Homework, studying, rendering that perfect presentation from my head to paper, you know. The various mundane tasks of human life."

"You wanna join me for the long train right back to the 'burbs?"

Though she ought to go to the library, Tsubaki gathered her things to leave too. "You know, if we befriend Esumi, she might get her chauffeur to drive us home."

"I'm pretty sure she hates me for associating with you," said Mikata. "I don't know. I can't read her well."

 _I can._

"She doesn't hate you but she wishes you would back her up more and that you let me do too much of what I want," said Tsubaki. "She can be a sincere person, but at the moment she is bursting with jealousy that she didn't get picked for team leader."

Mikata's thoughts drifted to the new manga books tucked between her textbooks in her bag. She had been reading the supernatural sub category of her favorite romance genre. In her head, she pictured a non-human manga character who posed as a human but had supernatural powers.

Her round spectacles made her eyes look large on her otherwise small face, like a bug. "You know, sometimes I wonder if you have a sixth sense. I'm not sure how you read that in her Cheshire smiles but I trust your judgment for a reason. You have a natural skill for reading people that I wonder if you're really human."

Mikata was a clever companion, but incapable that final leap, surmounting all disbelief. She beat around the truth yet never quite landed on the fact that Tsubaki was not entirely human and someday, she wouldn't be human at all.

Though her kind hated to lie, wasn't technically her whole human persona a lie? No, it wasn't a lie, she told herself. _A secret isn't a bold-faced lie._

'I wonder if you're really human.'

Tsubaki followed Mikata out, donning her own beguiling Chesire smile. "You have _no_ idea."

* * *

An introductory chapter that I hope gives you an idea of what kind of person/not-human Tsubaki is. She's a wannabe academic, less organized than her friend (and rival), a bit of a hopeless romantic, fancying her older mentor and though she's resigned to the fact that it isn't happening, a girl can dream right? The next chapter we'll see the main YYH boys and the plot will really kick in.


	2. The Illusions

AN: This story is one 'regular' story arc long with a few 'mini' arcs. This fic has a slight learning curve with the introduction of the two main OCs and a whole world. It needs the whole chapter to get the plot started.

* * *

The human world was business as usual, or so Yusuke thought. He left his apartment building with his gakuran buttoned high, but by lunch time his collar stuck to his neck. _Maybe I'll take the rest of the day off and find some shade where I can relax_ , but those thoughts were dashed by a gleam of sky blue hair. Botan rushed Yusuke, urging that he was stupendously late and Koenma and Kuwabara were already waiting for him.

"You're probably wondering why I called you here today, Yusuke," said Koenma.

In Kuwabara's bedroom, Botan and Yusuke sat waiting while Kuwabara banged on the busted antenna until the pictured cleared. "Piece of crap," muttered Kuwabara.

"Got another case up your sleeve?" Yusuke kicked his feet up and kissed his free afternoon goodbye.

"And this one requires some...extra sensitivity and suspension of disbelief," Koenma shut his eyes and interlaced his fingers, chewing seconds on his pacifier as if he weren't entirely ready for the exchange. "Have either of you ever...felt an urge or an idea whip through you like a rush of wind out of nowhere?"

"Believe it or not I used to draw as a kid and much of my inspiration was random. Artistic expression is fickle, my friends," said Kuwabara.

"Some human civilizations called them artistic muse or genies. In Spirit World, they're known as Illusions."

"Ah, yes I adored those mythical stories," Botan clapped her hands. "Illusions or invisible spirits of smokeless fire...or was it ice? Large bellies and tiny mouths or something like that."

" _Never_ heard of 'em," said Yusuke.

"Well, of course, you wouldn't hear of those same stories here. They're fictional characters in precautionary tales. No one really thinks they're real."

"I thought that too, Botan. Until about three hours ago," said Koenma. "A real Illusion came into my office."

Yusuke, who had been a little less than enthused about the meeting, sat up.

"As you can imagine, I wasn't receptive at first. After a rocky start, he briefed me on what has been troubling their world. After I accepted the fact that there _was_ another world. Why didn't I prepare a script for this? More like...it's another dimension. If we go by what he said, it exists in reflection of everything... None of this I know for certain. No one has ever seen it. It's only ever talked about in metaphors and old tales. If you have ever seen a map—open the map, Ogre—you'd see three worlds connected."

Koenma hit the map with a rod. "Here is where the Illusions are said to live. Right on the edge where they can watch everything. They exist in the shadows."

"How is that possible? If it's real then how come no one, especially Spirit World, has ever seen it?" asked Yusuke.

Botan spoke before Koenma could. "I mean...accepting that it _does_ exist, it wasn't ever supposed to be a place anyone can visit. It is said you can only feel it in the narrow space, like between buildings, behind mirrors, in the hum of silence, under bridges—"

"So they're like trolls or something, with a secret club," said Kuwabara, picturing mini burial mound creatures with wild hair.

Koenma continued. "I know it's hard to picture. The Illusions are said to be responsible for deja-vu, karma, bad luck, but on the flip side, they sprinkle good luck into the worlds."

"So artistic spirit stuff," said Yusuke. "They can make or break your night at the casino."

"The joke's on them," Kuwabara smirked. "My neko key chain is all the good luck I need." He flashed the white charm of a cat with painted whiskers and black eyes.

Before Yusuke could taunt Kuwabara and hoot with laughter, Botan forced them back on topic with a nervous sweat.

"OK, so what's this place got to do with our world all of a sudden?" said Kuwabara.

"I'll show you." Koenma opened a graph of their world and what appeared to be squiggly lines puncturing the perfect circle. "We've found atmospheric fluctuations. The waves are microscopic at this point, but we suspect they'll get worse. The scary part is that we aren't sure of what these waves can do yet."

"And that's a very big problem," said Botan.

"An Illusion in the human world is causing the mess. Our source, Kuvvet, has offered to help you arrest it. He says that its name is Anahtar. Tomorrow, Kuvvet will meet you four at a rendezvous point by the industrial bay. I'd go myself if I could," said Koenma.

"Four?" said Kuwabara.

"Kurama and Hiei have already been briefed. They will meet you and Kuvvet by the bay," said Koenma.

"Wait," said Yusuke. "If you have already met Kuvvet, could you at least tell us what he looks like? What does a smokeless fire, small-mouthed, giant belly-monster thing look like?"

Koenma sank into his chair and a bead of sweat ran along his shut eyes. "I don't think what I have at the moment will be useful."

 _If that toddler isn't telling us something…_

"Koenma sir, please. We need everything that you can tell us," said Botan, far better than what Yusuke had in mind to spew.

The tv changed to a picture taken in his office. They leaned in closer. The picture of the young man with sleek black hair, a square forehead, brown eyes, peach toned skin, clad in a green uniform with yellow notions—

"What in the ever living hell—that's me!" Yusuke shouted so loud he almost knocked his body out of his chair, onto the floor.

"He's Urameshi's twin?!" Kuwabara squeaked.

"It's uncanny," said Botan.

They faced a perfect doppelganger that could fool any of them if they saw him strolling in the street.

Koenma told them how he had been in the middle of his usual mountain of paperwork when _Yusuke_ walked into his office. He had ignored his instincts about the strange energy, too irritated by the distraction. When he scolded _Yusuke_ , an unfamiliar baritone voice cut him off.

Then not-Yusuke introduced himself as Kuvvet. While perfecting the body shape, face, and even the school uniform, he hadn't bothered to match Yusuke's swagger. Intentional or not, Koenma would never know. Seeing Yusuke stand straight and speak in full polite sentences had been almost eerie. Kuvvet had talked with undying patience and without either of them realizing it, three hours had passed. He still felt that Kuvvet had left him with more questions than answers.

"Remember it's not his real form. He did it as a show of power. D'you think I'd believe him if he showed up in my office saying he was an Illusion? I thought it was a prank. What worries me, is the fact that he chose you, Yusuke. It means he knows who you are and probably the others too. He may be our source, but I warn you to use caution. He is neither human nor demon."

"So that means we can't even sense them by spirit or demon energy," said Kuwabara.

The three sat in silence, allowing the words to marinate.

Botan snapped her fingers. "Hold on! We can use the Psychic Spyglass to see their true forms."

"Guess it's worth a shot. Do you still carry it?" said Yusuke.

Botan smoothed her ponytail with a nervous laugh. "I have to get it from Spirit World. If I leave now and rush I can make it in time for your meeting with Kuvvet. Get as much information out of him as you can and try to stall for time."

The two boys nodded with some resolve. Koenma still hadn't uncrossed his arms.

"One final note before you skedaddle," said Koenma. "Don't expect them to play by our rules. They act by their own laws and whims. Don't bet for a second that they'll tell you where they draw the lines."

* * *

 _Am I strong enough or am I being bested by a doll?_

The whistle of the train startled Kuvvet out of his daze. Soft blue light now illuminated the horizon.

Why be afraid? With its thousand blue threads, the doll didn't resemble her at all. Not her green hair nor could it capture the animation in her eyes when they darkened with glee.

Kuvvet embodied strength, as an Illusion that was his calling. Yet he had stared at the doll for hours with a tremble in his hand.

Woven with delicate threads, the doll had very little in common with its target who was shaped with rigid bones, muscle, human skin, and a soul that did not belong in the human world. The little person had been crafted just for him to abuse, and to harm her. It was too perfect and too close to the person he yearned for. But he had to do it.

Kuvvet would sacrifice anything if asked by his comrades. Anahtar would never have done the same, but she was human now and that made using the doll easier on his soul.

In the forehead of the doll, a red eye opened. _It's finally awake and I could crush it in one blow. It would all be over and she would never comprehend what hit her. It would be easy. And yet..._

 _Maybe there is a better way. I know what she wants more than anything. But I will need help from Spirit World._

On the ground, he laid down the doll that was somehow bluer in the faint light.

 _The poetic blue hour. T_ _he surreal time between night and morning inspires me_. _I finally feel strong enough._ He caressed the silk and black stitches. _Which limb should I break?_ He lifted his fist over his head, prolonging the moment before crushing the doll with all his might.

* * *

She belonged to a spiritual kind forgotten by history. She wasn't supposed to exist in the human world, but thanks to an accident, some oversight, institutional incompetence and keeping her head down, she existed without bother. As a human, she too had a short life span and in the blink of an eye, she could return home.

Her punishment was still chained to her and someday... somehow...after her human days were over, she'd finally exorcise it.

During the fateful blue hour, on the other side of the city, Tsubaki Yabu slapped snooze on her alarm on her work table. Her twenty-minute nap had turned into a two-hour nap, but there were no regrets. Feeling drool pool over her notes and run down her arm, she hunched up and wiped her chin.

She looked at her bed that she had made over the weekend but still hadn't slept in. Her cat sprawled out like a king where she ought to be sleeping. _At least someone's getting their beauty sleep._

Dark bags hung under her eyes and multiple late nights in a row gave her chills and chest pain. She ought to resign as Science club President and stop competing and in the wee morning hours, giving up was tempting. She could push her cat off her bed and sleep for the rest of the night, but Esumi, Science club's second in command who wanted Tsubaki's job, would prod her first thing in the morning for details about their lecture tomorrow. In a few hours she would show Esumi and Mikata her notes and Esumi would simper, congratulate her on a job well done, but then brood in the dark corners of her mind: _Tsubaki's_ _work is overrated and not even that great. I don't understand the praise for something so mediocre._

Esumi was an open book and riddled with jealousy.

 _All humans are open books and so very jealous of each other._

She adjusted the scarf over her lamp that dimmed the light just enough that it wouldn't bleed into the hallway. Her mother, who was probably doing another all-nighter in her office downstairs, was under the misconception Tsubaki could do her mountain of homework and sleep at a reasonable hour.

Humans needed too much rest to function. Such clumsy, envy-gushing, two-faced blobs of flesh. She could hardly bear living near them with the drama in their heads. Human life was so boring and simple she couldn't stand it. But stand it she would for just a little while longer.

A vibrant wave of familiar energy swept into her room from her open window.

Pause.

Many times over the years in the human world Illusions would creep on her radar, like critters crawling behind walls. But never before had she felt one in such close proximity.

There were now _two_ of her kind in the human world. And all of Illusions, it was the one whose presence to her tasted of poison.

She tiptoed to the window in case her mother worked downstairs. The suburban landscape that was so dull in daylight hours dreamed with surreal wonder in its long, dark shadows and blue light. His whispers carried in the wind: _where are you, Anahtar? Come out unless you want to be dragged out._

A hiss from behind.

Her cat glared out the window, his plush fur standing on end.

 _You feel it too?_

The alarm blared again and she almost jumped out of her skin. She slapped it off, overwhelmed with a crude, heart-racing mix of determination and dread.

 _What should I be doing? Should I go find him? Isn't that what he expects me to do? He knows I want these restrictions removed. But I have school in a few hours. Mother will be worried if she doesn't see me in the morning. But who cares? This is serious so I need to give it all my attention. Or do I settle human affairs first? Why am I treating this like my own funeral? Tsubaki's human life is priority number 2. The plan was to go back and get the chains removed so what's the big deal if I go back a few decades earlier than expected? Be decisive for once._

Her pen slipped mid-sentence. She had sat at her desk, picked up her pen and had scribbled more notes for Esumi and Mikata without realizing it. Behind, her cat yawned.

 _Guess I'll finish my homework first._

* * *

"Are you sure this is the right place? It smells like ass." Yusuke emerged into the alley Kurama found according to Koenma's instructions. His shadow drew tall into the narrow path wedged between a steel warehouse and a brick depository.

 _Really?_ Yusuke was ready to turn around and go home. _No demon castle, no scary weather, no wicked vibe at all. It feels too quiet and too human._ The smell of rusty saw blades, wood chips, and drying cement was amplified in the moist bay air. Yusuke wanted a hot shower after debriefing to scrub off the grime and he hadn't been in the alley for more than five minutes.

Kuwabara marched past the two demons, also unimpressed with their shabby destination after enduring five train transfers—would have been only two if he and Urameshi had gone the right way the first time. Yellow letters of a construction ad on the brick building read: _Raise the Roof._ "OK, but are we sure? It's not at all like what I saw in my dream. Koenma said 'reflection of everything' so can't there be a better place to meet Urameshi's twin?"

"This is the right place, believe it or not," said Kurama. "According to the tales, abandoned space like this is right up their alley."

Hiei snorted at the pun with a turn of his chin.

None of them cared to be there.

Kuwabara flapped his lips and propped his hands at his hips. "I still don't see what's so special about this dump." He kicked a torn box flap that littered his path and muttered something about trolls.

"So you have heard of the Illusions too?" Yusuke asked, ignoring Kuwabara. "Or are you coming into this just as clueless as us?"

The demon pair glanced at one another and Kurama shrugged. "We just know them as mythical beings in stories like the Greek gods you study in school. They're nothing real."

A sliver of rainbow light snaked through their long shadows. Yusuke rocked onto the edge of his heels and Kuwabara squeaked like a squeezed chew toy. The light—not a trick but as animated as they were—reflected in the water pooling on the ground.

What Yusuke could only describe as a phantom materialized high above them. His skin, that matched Yusuke's in shade, looked as transparent as a ghost's—he rubbed his eyes to focus. Normal skin would have been blemished with redness or scars but he was perfect—bar one imperfection. From the distance, Yusuke had to squint but he saw a tiny scar on the apple of his right cheek. His dark tidy curls and charcoal eyes were eerily human, yet the more Yusuke stared the more he noticed something was off. Humans blinked. Human curls frizzed. Human skin had pores. _He is definitely not human._ His robust stature reminded Yusuke of Kuwabara. Size aside, his friend was a gentle giant, whereas Kuvvet from his impressive height seemed too aware of how great size could daunt.

The Illusion floated near the roof, gazing down at them with an unreadable expression.

"I take it you're Kuvvet," said Yusuke.

* * *

"I'm jealous," said Tsubaki, twirling a lock of green hair around her finger. "Your new glasses are super cute."

Mikata didn't blush like a normal person, but she adjusted the soft brown frames to fret with her hands as she always did when someone paid her a compliment. "Thank you Tsubaki but come on. I'm jealous that you don't need glasses. Oh I tell you by the way? I saw something strange earlier?"

"Yeah, go on."

She flipped several pages of her notebook. "Let me...check...I know I wrote it down here somewhere. On the way to the eye doctor, I kept seeing blurry words."

"Keywords: blurry words and eye doc."

"Not that. Where is it in this darn notepad? I kept seeing a pattern of words on walls. _Come out_ or something."

Tsubaki paused. "Like graffiti or something?"

"Maybe. At first I figured my vision was more screwed up than I thought but I noticed it was a consistent pattern of those weird words." She flipped to a page. "Here! It said: Anah-tar come out. I might have miswritten it but the first word sounds like a foreign language. Checked some dictionaries in the foreign language shelves, but no leads."

"You probably miswrote it or didn't even see anything."

Mikata tapped her finger on her notes to assert their infallibility. "If you don't believe me you can ask Ju-Eun and Esumi. They were experiencing double vision too in random spurts."

Tsubaki ducked her head before Mikata could witness the twist in her mouth.

"Pretty weird. Maybe it's the haze from the heat or some anarchist making some artistic statement."

Tsubaki peered out the window that overlooked Aojo common feeling the same weighty hesitation from the previous night. A soft breeze blew into the third-floor classroom and she sniffed the slightest whiffs of salty water from the bay. "I need to leave early today."

"Oh? What for?"

"I have to go to the Industrial bay."

"That far? By what time?" Mikata checked the homeroom clock. 17:37.

"Before sundown."

"Are you nuts? It's sundown _now._ " Mikata rolled her eyes, which were larger than usual in the magnified frames. "I hope whoever is waiting for you is willing to wait a few hours. But if they know you well enough, they should know to bring a book. How do you expect to get there?"

"I'm not worried about that. I have to go home and drop off my stuff first."

Mikata returned to her book with a snort as Tsubaki began packing her books. "Unless you have a helicopter on the lawn waiting for you, it will take you a few hours in this rush hour and the express trains don't run in that direction this time of day. You should have left immediately after school."

"I needed to go over things with Esumi for the lecture tomorrow. Four high schools are coming—"

"And a dreamy mentor-boy named Tamuro-san," Mikata batted her lashes and Tsubaki simpered. "I must congratulate on this is a new low on the tardy scale. An achievement, really. And _ugh_ , not to mention I haven't even asked you what the heck you're going already the way there for. It can't be good—"

"I know what you're thinking—" said Tsubaki, literally.

"Don't even get me started." She stared at her friend for a long moment clearly debating with herself but then sighed. "I'll leave it at that. See you tomorrow, _I hope_."

Tsubaki went into the girls' restroom. The stalls were empty and there was only her reflection in the three mirrors. Facing herself she concentrated on a memory of a man she had called her mentor once upon a time. She pictured a tall blond man with perfect blue eyes. If she were full Illusion she could mimic his form without a second thought, as easy as taking a breath. But she would have to make do. She reached out her arm to the mirror. At her touch, the mirror's hard surface rippled, suddenly as yielding and fluid as water.

Limb by limb, bags in tow, she stepped through the mirror., swallowed by the other side. The mirror's surface hardened again, and all traces of the Illusion spirited away.

* * *

Kuvvet bowed his head, the wind billowing in his robe. "The Junior Spirit King told me about you. I can see who you are so introductions aren't needed." He set a finger on his forehead at 'see'.

"I don't get what that forehead tap means, but I bet it's rude," Kuwabara said under his breath.

"Let's cut to the chase. Mind tellin' us a bit about who the hell we're looking for?" said Yusuke.

"Call it Anahtar and by no other name." Kuvvet's deep voice said the name clearly while it had sounded chunky in Koenma's mouth.

That much the four had heard so far and they hadn't changed trains five times just for a name.

"What does this Anahtar dude look like?" asked Kuwabara.

Something about the word 'dude' didn't seem to sit well with Kuvvet judging by his peeved expression. "I don't know yet. Anahtar has assumed another identity so anything I tell you wouldn't help."

Yusuke clenched his jaw. _Great! What good is it if the source doesn't know anything?!_

"Don't fret. You're focusing on the wrong things, but you'll soon learn what to ask," said Kuvvet.

Yusuke's mind blanked; he hadn't felt his thoughts being read at all.

"I have a feeling Anahtar will come out very soon. It won't stay hidden for long," said Kuvvet, holding his elbow. He opened his mouth, about to say something—

Glass bottles clicked in a garbage can in front of the four.

Kuwabara raised his guard, "I got a bad feeling you guys—"

A gray-furred, whiskered face peeped over the bin.

"Oh look! It's a kitty!" Kuwabara squealed, skipping over to pet it. "What's up little guy? You must be hungry."

Kuvvet nodded. "He's looking for some salmon someone tossed earlier. And if he'll follow the wave of my finger, he'll find what he's looking for."

Kuwabara's mouth hung open. "How did you know that?"

The four watched Kuvvet spin a silvery thread in midair with his finger. He flicked it over Kuwabara's head to the garbage heap. There was a pause before more clicks came from the bin where the cat rummaged through trash bags. The cat soon resurfaced with salmon between his fangs. Kuwabara's palm touched the cat's fur before it dashed away. "Run far away, little guy."

"We've digressed," said Kurama. "For now how about you tell us what you do in fact know about the current situation?"

Rays from the setting sun caught in Kuvvet's hair, illuminating blue tones in the dark curls. "Anahtar is an Illusion just like me. To add to what you just saw, we can read minds and influence. We can shape shift our bodies, our surroundings, and our faces. I know you all saw that I borrowed Yusuke's face to meet Koenma."

"I wouldn't shame anyone for wanting a face like mine, but that _really_ creeps me out," Yusuke said to Kuwabara.

"You're tellin' me," said Kuwabara.

Kuvvet must have been oblivious to the exchange as he answered Kurama's question. "I imagine it is hard to empathize with a place you've never heard of, but Anahtar has caused us a lot of anguish and pain. It's an arrogant, attention-seeking troublemaker. It won't stay quiet for long."

"What exactly has Anahtar done and why does it threaten human world?" asked Kurama.

"Anahtar was in the middle of serving a sentence for murder and betrayal. Of all places, it came here and over time it will destabilize this world. I do not understand its full plan yet, but Anahtar is the type to act for amusement, not honor."

Without warning, before Yusuke could answer, the worst headache he had ever felt in his life crushed his head. "Stop it Kuvvet!" His legs quaked, struggling to hold him but then the pressure stopped as quickly as it had started. Only when he gathered his breath did Yusuke notice the others panting beside him had endured the same pain.

 _OK, now I'm mad._ Yusuke held his head like fragile pieces that could fall apart.

"Forgive me. I didn't think that would hurt you so much," said Kuvvet. "I only tried to project a mental image so you could see too."

Near the bay, a train sped by, carrying workers back to the suburbs in droves. Its horn was like a drill to Yusuke's aching head.

 _Add swallow half a bottle of aspirin to the list before that hot shower._ "Here's a tip: use real words. I don't know what you Illusions like to do for fun but down here we don't give people headaches for shits and giggles."

Kuvvet bowed his head but the bow from such height proved almost insignificant.

 _Remember_ , _he's not human and doesn't get it._

"If that was him just speaking to us as he would with another of his own kind, what else can they do?" murmured Kurama to Hiei.

Kuvvet peered at the two demons.

"How do you get to Illusion world?" Hiei asked, his fingers brushing over his covered Jagan eye.

Kuvvet's shoulders shook a little as he tried not to laugh. "Only Illusions know. Even if I told you, you wouldn't be able to find it." He tapped his forehead again.

"Has a non-Illusion ever made it through?" asked Kurama.

Kuvvet's eyes glinted. "That is how our story begins actually."

"What is _that_ supposed to mean?" asked Hiei.

"Wrong question," said Kuvvet.

The throb from Kuvvet's mental intrusion worsened in Yusuke's head.

"Just a second. So you're like shape-shifters? You and Anahtar can pose as anyone, right?" said Kuwabara.

Kuvvet's mouth curled into a smile. "I'll give you another demonstration if you want." His hands circled, spinning another silver thread, but Yusuke had the feeling he wasn't looking for more salmon.

Energy glowed brightly over his head then stretched and kneaded like dough. The energy plopped in front of Kuwabara, startling him, forming arms and legs. A muscular body with chalk white skin, black pants, red hair and spider web shape face scar—

"Rando?!" Kuwabara shrieked.

"You wish you had beaten him, would you like a second chance?" Kuvvet said as the demon sneered at Kuwabara. Rando cracked his Life Force thread, bounding Kuwabara's arms and legs. He tumbled to the ground, scraping his knees and shoulders.

Rando cracked his Life Force thread, bounding Kuwabara's arms and legs. He tumbled to the ground, scraping his knees and shoulders.

"I'm much stronger than I was the last time we fought!" Kuwabara cried, rolling like a worm to his feet.

Yusuke raised his hand to fire. "Stay down! Let me get him!"

 _"Shut up!_ I've got him right where I want him!"

Rando charged but a _crackle_ like that of fire made him halt. Rando stood frozen for a moment but then spirited away in an eruption of smokeless fire. The flames blew on Yusuke's cheeks but he felt no heat.

The braces on Kuwabara's body burst open and in relief, he fell flat on his face.

 _You wish you had beaten him_ , the voice lingered in the air. "Earlier, did you mean to say you took Rando from Kuwabara's memory?" asked Kurama.

Kuvvet had turned away from the four. "That is the right question. I would explain, but the guest of honor came sooner than I expected," he groaned, sniffing his nose.

Guest of honor?

They turned to the sixth shadow at the edge of the alley. A tall willowy man with wispy blond hair stood in robes the color of early night. If Yusuke stood nose to nose with him, he bet he could use his transparent cheeks as tracing paper and sketch the smoking towers far behind them. With a broad nose, face shaped an inverted triangle like Kuvvet's, and eyes that were a shade of turquoise that put the nearby bay to shame.

The unwelcome blond waved his arms in the same weightless way as Kuvvet.

Kuvvet smacked his lips. "Is that choice of form meant to be a slap in my face?"

"Is that who we need to arrest?" Yusuke said, sizing him up with disappointment with his fists at his hips. After all the build up from Koenma, the long lesson about a world Yusuke would never see nor think about after he slapped cuffs on the pretty-boy.

"Pfft, looks like one of the nerds at our school," said Kuwabara, dusting off his uniform.

"After what you just saw don't you think you shouldn't underestimate him?" said Kurama.

"You were just beaten by an image and not even the real thing," said Hiei.

Kuwabara grabbed Hiei by his collar. "I ALMOST HAD HIM, JERKFACE."

Yusuke, who had fought the real Rando, knew the incarnation hadn't been Rando, yet his very-real-feeling attacks sparked deja-vu from their own battle. Not just some ghost, it might as well had really been Rando.

"You can take a good look but this isn't Anahtar's true form. Let's see if I can shed the layers so you can see Anahtar's true face."

"So this dude IS the wanted Illusion?" Yusuke said facing Anahtar but it didn't move at his words. Nothing said it even saw Yusuke. _These Illusions really gave him the creeps._ "I don't want to just stand here all day. Well, here goes nothing. Attack from a distance—spirit gun!"

Brilliant blue energy fired from Yusuke's index finger but shot through a blast of smokeless fire.

A vertical flash of light and a half long, the blond changed. Now a half-buzzed purple-haired _yanki_ delinquent yanked him up by his collar. It placed a palm over his forehead. Before Yusuke could punch, emptiness wormed into his head. _Who shut off the lights?_ His dark eyes went opaque and unfocused. _What the heck had I just been doing? Why do I see faces? Mom, the guys, Botan, Keiko…_

* * *

"Urameshi!" Kuwabara fired up his spirit sword with a howl. The yanki changed costume and transformed into a bald salary-man in a suit.

Kuwabara charged, ignoring Kurama's plea for him to wait.

The alley cracked like plates under Kuwabara's feet. _What the hell! An earthquake!_ The stone quaked but then the narrow alley thrust up into the air like a new mountain. But it wasn't a mountain.

Kuwabara stopped his charging with skid marks. His toes curled up like a ballerina right at the rooftop edge of the building he didn't remember standing on. _Where did the alley go? Did I hit my head and dream all this? None of this was in my dream! Why was the ground so far down?!_

He flapped his arms like bird wings to save himself from falling. "Erm, guys?! I don't like this ride."

A muffled snicker came before the kick to his spine. Kuwabara tumbled off the edge with a shrill that could be heard for miles. "I LOVE YOU YUKINA! I'M SORRY WE COULDN'T—"

When he expected to splatter into a puddle of bones, brains, and organs, the pavement softened like pillows with the bounce of a spring mattress. Kuwabara laid petrified, his pupils small and dull.

* * *

Anahtar's building vanished into nothing. Kurama and Hiei saw Yusuke whisper in confusion and Kuwabara with a deer in the headlights look of fright.

Kurama summoned a rose from his hair when the salary-man swirled in his direction.

Round brown eyes blinked at him with big pupils. The Illusion approached, lips opening to speak.

Kurama cracked his rose whip; the thorns on the long weapon nearly clipped his nose. Anahtar's shoes hit him in the center of his chest and he heard two distinct _cracks_. Kurama stole the power from his whip, which shrank back into a rose. He saw his mother's face before the world went black.

* * *

 _Your fatal mistake, Illusion, was leaving me for last_. Hiei unsheathed his sword, running so fast he cut through the air like an arrow. The salaryman jumped back for distance, splashing into a water puddle. Hiei closed the distance between them in a heartbeat. He hiked his sword back for a sequence of a dozen cuts. The blade stopped when Anahtar slapped a palm on Hiei's forehead, smack dab on his Jagan eye.

A strange chill swept through him. _Yukina…_

Disoriented for a second, the ground gave way under Hiei's feet as if the puddle beneath him were the free surface of the ocean. Darkness swallowed him. He was confused, but when the light hit him again Hiei flipped to his feet. He now stood on some corner of the industrial park, far from the alley. He unmasked his Jagan eye, its anger pulsing through him with murderous intent.

* * *

"Didn't even try to kill them. Do Temiz's chains prevent you from killing?" Kuvvet slowly clapped at the epic scene.

"Would you like to find out?" Said a voice that sounded odd speaking with human vocal cords.

 _A victory, her voice._

"Go ahead. Show me that lovely face of yours. No one else is looking," he said.

Anahtar didn't move.

"Come on," he said. "I miss that face. The one of Güzel's swaying."

The name triggered a fierce glare and a growl, all too familiar to him. Perhaps it would be the closest he'd get to seeing Anahtar's true face.

Anahtar spun and shed the salaryman like layers of clothes. Full curly hair sprouted with young gray eyes.

Kuvvet scowled. A romanticized version of his former self. "Don't forget the scar you gave me." He rubbed the tiny mark on his cheek.

Anahtar didn't speak.

"You still have good use of that arm. That will only be for a matter of time," said Kuvvet.

Eyes narrowed at him _. What nonsense are you jabbering?_ A voice rippled through the alley, from lips that didn't move. "I'm surprised you recruited Spirit World. Do you enjoy being their mewling dog, Gunah?" Anahtar posed in defense, arms arching high up like a threatened spider.

Not used to pain, the name pierced him deeply, inciting a ferocity within him he had forgotten existed. "Don't you ever misname me!"

Then he glimpsed it, in the humored slanting of her eyes, some semblance of Anahtar's true self.

* * *

Yusuke curled up, shaking the fog out of his head. He turned to the face-off and blinked to focus at the mirror image of two Kuvvets. _Great, I've got a concussion_. _Why are there two of them now?_

Not-Kuvvet cocked a fist back but only hit smokeless fire. _Crackle,_ a growl, _different to_ Kuvvet's _voice._

He jumped to his feet, but his haste was for naught. Both dissipated right as his sneakers landed on the ground.

Hiei sprinted, arriving too late to make a difference. He eyed the pitiful scene with smoldering eyes. "Where's Kuvvet?" He sheathed his sword.

Yusuke's head still whirled as he rested against the brick wall. "Gone. They're both gone. Everyone okay?"

Kuwabara wiped the drool from his chin. He managed to stand somehow but wobbled like a drunken man about to puke.

Kurama dusted his chest. "My ribs are in bad shape but…I'll be fine."

"Is it even worth asking if anybody got a good look?" asked Yusuke.

"Blond with blue eyes," Hiei said about the first form.

"And then the artsy fartsy yanki with purple hair," said Yusuke.

"Then a bald guy," said Kuwabara.

"Brown eyes... black hair," Kurama said with difficulty.

Kuwabara slumped against the warehouse, still too dizzy. "Great. So he looks like Urameshi too."

"I doubt he showed us his real face so there's no point on dwelling on what we saw today," said Hiei.

"Soooo, how are we going to find him?" Yusuke drawled. "Or Kuvvet for that matter. Not like Koenma gave us his phone number or address."

"What I want to know is how in the world did Kuvvet know about Rando?!" asked Kuwabara.

Kurama tried to save his breath. "Earlier...the headache."

Yusuke couldn't believe he had forgotten about that headache that jackhammered in his mind. "The headache? What do you mean?"

"He scoped us for information...from all of us. Instead of someone very powerful like Toguro, as a show of how far he could search our memories, he chose Rando. He and maybe Anahtar probably know us better than we know ourselves."

"Why do I not like the sound of that?" groused Kuwabara, the statement not far from what the three others voiced in the compromised privacy of their heads.

* * *

AN: Phew! If you have made it this far, thank you! It was a long one, but I wanted to give you a taste of everything: Tsubaki, Kuvvet, the Illusion powers, and of course have the main four.

I owe a lot to Voissed for taking the time to beta this chapter. This chapter is so much better because of your thorough edits and criticisms :)


	3. Fly Traps

Kurama's coughs clouded in the chilly air as he walked home. Ready to heal his ribs, he approached his front porch when a sharp shot of adrenaline made him pause. Three details triggered his senses: the house swelled from strange energy, the lit lamp behind beige curtains, and through the walls, a honeyed voice begging to be heard.

The bustle of his mother in the kitchen greeted him. In the foyer, as he bent to take off his shoes, his rib cage screamed. His mother emerged from the kitchen's door, drying her hands with a dish towel.

"Hello mother, how was your day?"

"Shuichi—good, you're here. Your friend Tsubaki is waiting for you."

Unlacing his shoes slower was all he could do to hide his contemplation. His broken ribs decompressed as he straightened, the unrelenting pain drilling all the way to his heels.

"Waiting? Oh, right." With his mother watching, he checked his watch sheepishly. "My mistake," he said. "I lost track of time."

Shiori blinked, sharing the briefest motherly looks of concern, before returning to the kitchen. He followed his mother through the sliding door like a shadow.

There she was, drinking at his dining room table, after lying to his precious mother.

* * *

"So I was wrong about the large bellies and small mouths," said Botan after Yusuke imparted news of their failure.

"But not about the smokeless fire," he said.

Botan and Yusuke recovered at his apartment in low spirits. The Psychic Spyglass, warm in his palm, felt toyish and simple after what he witnessed that day. He kicked his feet up on the bed-board, still mentally congested from Anahtar's mind fog. "I told you. It changed forms about fifty times and I never got a good look at any of them. Not that it mattered because it never revealed its true form."

Botan dug through her first aid kit and offered him a packet of aspirin. "I sped as fast as I could. I really think the Psychic Spyglass would have given us more information. How is Kuvvet supposed to be a good judge of Anahtar's true form when he can't even tell us what it looks like?"

Yusuke dry swallowed the tablets, regretting it immediately as the pills began to dissolve in the middle of his throat. "Beats me. Maybe it's one of those things he'll only know it when he sees it."

Botan, dressed in a blue sweater and black pants, folded her legs beneath her on his floor. Her eyes still itched from the dusty wind when she had sped as fast as she could to the alley. Her rushing had been for naught as the two Illusions were gone and the four lay behind to process. "Yes, I know. The Illusions are tricky to deal with. Koenma is going to search through the archives and see if there is anything he can find that will help."

Finally, the tablets reached his stomach but the bad taste stuck to his throat like slug trails. "Could have done that before he threw us to the hungry lions."

"Don't blame Koenma for the lack of info. They aren't exactly the communicative type. Not in the way we're used to at least."

 _Wanna bet you'll change your mind after you meet them?_ "It's just strange to me."

"Hmmm?"

"Anahtar took us out like we were nothing. Kuvvet and Anahtar aren't weaklings so that might mean there are many Illusions strong like them. If they have been able to slip by unnoticed by Spirit World all this time why even bother going on the radar?"

"You forget Yusuke that Spirit World has jurisdiction over the human world and their fight spilling into it would attract attention. Maybe even from demon world."

"Their fight, huh?" Even with the mental fog like a blurring filter in his mind, he couldn't make up the enmity sparking between the two like electricity. "I definitely felt like the third wheel in that one. Didn't kill any of us, but Anahtar definitely got the message across."

"What message?"

"That we were nothing. Anahtar pushed us out of the way and went straight for Kuvvet." Gunah he heard the Illusion call their ally. Unless Yusuke's memory sucked or the mind fog was to blame.

Still, he stared at his green ceiling as shadows danced from the spinning fan, replaying the alley fight in his head. Normally after a fight, his bones ached and abrasions burned, but that night Yusuke suffered a headache like his mind had been playdoh mangled by a four-year-old.

"Fitting isn't it?" she said. "Of all the possibilities, Kuvvet chose Rando, the demon who hid his own true form for so long."

"Even Rando dropped the disguise when the stakes were high enough. So it's only a matter of time, right?"

* * *

An ambush outside would have sufficed. Bombarding him in his room without the charade would have been permissiable. Instead, Anahtar chose the most intimate way of invading his space.

This costume was the form of a common teenager close to his human age. She wore a green plaid skirt and a white sweater stitched with a blue coat of arms. A school girl uniform. A well-picked harmless disguise. Someone to whom his mother would open her door.

The herbal scent of his mother's favorite tea filled the small kitchen and mixed with Anahtar's musk. Her three scents: Sandalwood, elderberry, and honey in that order of strength. On her right arm were two slits in the knit where his whip had torn. Deja vu like a tickle in his throat, when he recognized the same blinking brown eyes with pupils swelling with interest.

 _Sloppy._ After three costume changes during their fight, all to protect her identity, now she all but told him her human identity. Yet she sat unnervingly calm, spinning a long tress of hair between her fingers. Did she really believe the presence of his mother shielded her? Very sloppy but his other opponents had made that mistake ample times.

"I'm jealous, Shuichi," said the honeyed voice he had heard in the alley. "Your home is so immaculate in style and design. Your mother showed me around while I waited."

Shiori's shoulders shook as she masked soft giggles.

He sat at the table's opposite end, watching his mother in the corner of his eye while she set the timer on their rice cooker.

"If I had known, I wouldn't have kept you waiting." He greeted with the air of someone meeting a friend. "I'm sorry I was late, Tsubaki."

"Waiting was no problem. Your mother was kind enough to make me some tea." She focused thick-lashed eyes on him, dark barrels locking their aim. Time began to slog and his head tingled and his eyes glossed from double vision. _A weaker version of Kuvvet's headache._

Irritated by the mental intrusion, he flashed his demon energy like hot wires in his mind.

She jolted against her chair, missed by his mother busy with the stove. Hot tea splashed on the crux of her thumb, which she wiped with her napkin with an exhilarated grin.

His mother turned away from the stove. "I've never met Tsubaki... I don't think I ever got your surname," Shiori said.

"Tsubaki Yabu," she said, make no mistake expressed in every syllable.

"How do you know each other?" said Shiori, her tone a little too cheery for it to be an innocent question.

"Hmm, when did we first meet?" mused Tsubaki. Her smile appeared friendly on the surface but he saw was actually with mischievous delight as she waited for his answer.

Deja vu again and Kurama willed his memory. "Through mutual friends," he said without missing a beat. "She is head of the Aojo science society. Through intermingling at our schools, we met."

Tsubaki nodded to Shiori as if that answer had been on the tip of her tongue.

"Oh, that's nice." His mother's syrupy-sweet remark crisp against the unstable bitter air.

The only true human in the room, that fact unbeknownst to the human herself, must have felt the small kitchen shrink, with the intention of squeezing her out. "I'll leave you two alone. Call if you need anything."

"We will mother." He followed her out of the small kitchen, steadying the sliding door behind her to enclose the space.

Tsubaki appraised the modest kitchen's style and appliances in quiet leisure while Kurama could still hear the disquieting cries of his friends.

He studied her features under the white light. Rice-papery skin with prominent cheekbones and alluring dark eyes. Even if she changed her disguise ten times, he believed he could draw her perfectly from memory.

Her name: Tsubaki. The camellia flower while revered for its beauty, in stories the flowers symbolized bad luck or death. Unlike roses that broke petal by petal, camellias would plop to the ground as whole red flowers like severed heads covered in blood. _Fitting_.

He sat in his seat facing her. _How did she trick mother to allow her in? The transparent orbs of mental emptiness that had struck Yusuke—_

"I did no such thing," Tsubaki admonished. She had read his mind too fast for him to notice. "I like getting credit for my work but it was just a clever ploy. All I did was call you by your first name and she thought 'she must be a friend'."

Kurama retreated deep in his mind and he began to plot. _Awaken._ Three tiny potted plants that served as green decor on the countertop behind her spurred to life at his duress signal. They would sprout and eat a hefty meal before her tea could go cold.

"No mental attacks?" he asked.

She twisted a lock of hair into a very tight curl. "I didn't force my way in," she said, almost defensively. "Your mother wanted to tell me to come another time. _I will have him call her when he returns_ ," Tsubaki actually parroted in eerie mimicry of Shiori's voice. "Before she could, I asked her about the centerpiece mirror in your living room. Humans are less keen to kick you out after you show interest in them."

He had been wrong about her hair color. The strands were a deep lustrous green that reminded him of an iridescent dragonfly. His potted plants, awake and sprouting from his delicious energy flow, flashed their teething nubs at the word 'dragonfly'.

"You are… Anahtar, I assume."

She nodded. "I already know who you are, Kurama."

He shut his eyes. A taboo word uttered in his human territory. The tiny slip absorbed into him like clay and cold stoicism returned on his smooth skin.

He topped off her cup before filling his own. The rich chamomile comforted him as he drank, filling the empty space in his stomach. His mother's presence put him on edge yet Tsubaki sat totally relaxed. She was in no hurry.

Still, he fed more energy to his plants. Saying nice things to his mother could not negate her trespass in his home.

Behind Tsubaki on the counter sat a pitcher plant. Still a budding sac, it inflated its bell-shaped cavity like a balloon. Small clam fly traps multiplied and grew with burgeoning teeth.

"What did Gunah say during his history lesson?" she asked. "Or should I just go ahead and say everything Gunah told you is probably wrong?"

"Don't you mean Kuvvet?" he said.

She narrowed her dark eyes as if to threaten mental intrusion again. "I mean Gunah." Each syllable dripped with venom.

Kurama remembered Kuvvet's derision when he spat at the second name like a curse.

"You can set the record straight if you would like. He said you in the middle of serving a sentence for your crimes," he said.

She pinched her face in thought. "Ok. That much is true. What else did he say?"

"Kuvvet hasn't said much to us." He awaited mental trespass yet either he hadn't felt it or she hadn't bothered to check if he lied. "Kuvvet doesn't seem to know much yet."

"Oh trust me, he knows plenty," she insisted with a snort. "He doesn't like to lie, no Illusion likes to lie, it takes too much effort, but he will spin the truth in such a vague way that even the truth will deceive you."

Not much of what either of the Illusions said made sense. "My loyalty isn't to Kuvvet but to the protection of this world. My target is whatever threatens this world," he said.

"Such honorable words. Reminds me of Kuvvet before he became Gunah," she said.

He understood her words were intended to insult him but their impact couldn't affect him any more than a weak breeze could sway him.

"I digress," she said. "I was asking if Gunah talked to you, Kurama. But you already said no." _If he had, you would know immediately what I'm talking about._ Her voice rippled in the air but her lips hadn't moved.

 _A projection._ He had heard of them from the stories. Often Illusions communicated by mere projection, sharing mental images. "Couldn't we have had this chat in the alley before you attacked?" He counted four fly traps the size of golf balls, hanging on their vine.

Another disruption in her composure, obvious by her worn sigh. "The spirit detective attacked _me_ first—you have a terrible memory. I wanted to come here but not to talk about him. I'm here to talk about mothers, my human mother."

He paused. Did she expect him to spare her just because he could empathize with having a mother? Was that her simple plan all this time? He counted five trap plants as large as baseballs. For her arrogance, he funneled more energy to his plants in spite of his injured chest. "You have a human mother? How can an Illusion have a mother?"

"The same way you have one." She tossed her green hair over her shoulder.

The long strands, by their color and scent, teased the hungry plants. They were growing impatient waiting for Kurama's permission to feed. _Just one bite_ , they begged.

Her words buried the pleas from the counter. "I like your mother because she reminds me of mine. She doesn't know what I am and she must never know." Her tone changed and softened and she set the cup down into its tea plate. "I ask this as a favor."

A favor?

Kurama shut his eyes again to steady the barriers in his mind. "You vexed my friend. You petrified another. You spirited away my partner after injuring his Jagan eye and injured me. All of that you haven't forgotten and you dare ask for a favor?"

The pitcher plant had grown to nearly the size of her head. The poison-green sac compressed and expanded, breathing like a frog's throat.

She shrugged with perfect coolness. The pain of his friends were only afterthoughts to her, it seemed. "I thought to ask was better than the alternative."

He didn't move. "Is that a threat?"

She leaned in, daring to encroach, her brown eyes wide with thrill. "Doesn't it sound like one?"

The demon flowers behind crept closer, licking the skin of their razor sharp teeth. Their vines darkened in full maturity from his last surge of energy. Their wait was finally over and their patience would be graciously paid for. Pitcher plants and clam traps hovered over her head and loomed closer. The sensitive hairs on their mouths inched dangerously close to her dark strands.

Kurama gave them the orders: Release a drowsy pollen to slowly knock her out cold. Muffle her mouth and stuff her throat as the pollen marinates. Bound her arms and legs with vines so she wouldn't fidget even in sleep. Three venomous bites and her heart would stop in under a minute. Then it was free game but they had to eat fast. Her body had to be gone before the rice cooker's alarm rang.

 _What do Illusions taste like?_ They thought, releasing the pollen before they opened their mouths wide for their first bite—

The sliding door squeaked and Shiori strolled in with smiling eyes. The mother noticed how the kitchen had silenced, save for the bubbling from the rice cooker, at her emergence. For an awkward moment, both teenagers fixed their eyes on her and sought something to explain her interruption. She tapped the empty pot on the table between them. "Goodness, it is empty. Sorry to interrupt. I was in the middle of doing something and I suddenly had the urge to check. Let me make some more."

If Kurama had been even slightly unsure about his mother's interruption, doubt left him when he saw Tsubaki's eyes darken with pleasure.

His mother, flushed in her cheeks and neck from rushing to accommodate the stranger. He wasn't having it, especially not for the Illusion. "Mother, you don't need to worry. I can easily take care of that."

"The rice is almost done if you wanted to stay and talk more," Shiori ignored him and directed her question to Tsubaki.

Tsubaki's welcome had gone as cold as the remains of tea in her cup. She smiled sweetly and shouldered her bag as she stood. "You've been a wonderful host but it's time I leave anyway. My mother is expecting me."

"Please excuse Shuichi being late. He won't do it again." Shiori smacked his head with a firm, scolding hand. In a moment that betrayed him rather than merely acting as a dutiful son, Kurama was truly flustered, humbled that he could be intimidated by his mother.

He saw the Illusion repress a laugh behind her hand. "Shuichi just forgot. He has a terrible memory. Let's talk again another time."

"I would like that." He exchanged the pleasantry in front of his mother, rubbing the sore spot on his head.

Tsubaki Yabu left the home and took all traces of her intrusion with her. When he shut the door after her his mother took the teacups from the table.

"What did you talk about?" Kurama asked her.

"Isn't that my question to ask?" Shiori giggled, rinsing the cups in the sink. "She admired the design. Then she mentioned something about the house having good goss or something. I believe she said it was related to feng shui. What did you two talk about?"

"About the upcoming tournament season. I was thinking of being involved this year," he said.

"If she attends another school wouldn't she be your opponent?" she asked.

"Yes, she is definitely my opponent."

He sat in his same seat. His mind's eyes still pictured his vivacious plants, now dregs of withered leaves in their pots. Though on his explicit command, the plants salivated in full sight while enduring the wait for his approval to devour the Illusion like a bug ensnared in their midst.

He had spent time trying to set up the plants. Tried to entice her into his mind to incapacitate her, while trying to nail down her greatest weakness. He could inform the others of her human weakness but how could he in good conscience when he had his own mother? He had gone impressive lengths to hide his mother yet she freely imparted the sensitive information. Sloppy? Or just deliberate enough for him to underestimate her?

The encounter replayed in his mind. His actions that he had thought he had carefully measured. He had been so sure of himself at the time but how wrong he had been? She had come for information, not about Kuvvet or their mothers as she had said. She had come for information about him and he couldn't fathom how much he had given her unwittingly.

* * *

While smart and charming, Kurama can be dangerous and I tried to capture that in this chapter. Tsubaki and the four are NOT meant to be on friendly terms early on and things will get more complicated later, but for now, Kurama would have killed her without a second thought because she waltzed into his mother's home. His sweet mother is none the wiser though and thinks the meet up carries _other_ more romanticimplications if you catch my drift...

Thank you Yileen for reviewing the first chapter! Reviewers let me know what you think. If anything is confusing or something was written unclear, feedback is definitely welcome.


	4. Stalker

Btw, the head-hopping between Illusions *is* intentional because they are in each other's heads. I will do my best not to go overboard with it.

* * *

"Seeing is different than being told." Kenyan Proverb

* * *

Dressed in a new, thorn-less sweater that didn't smell of rust, Tsubaki walked to school in good spirits.

Her plans the previous night weren't to threaten Shiori Minamino. The opposite. Out of all of them with something to lose, Kurama, with his injured ribs, was the easiest, among other reasons. She wanted Kurama to mark off the territory, agree to a set of rules and terms and relay them to the others. She would respect their human boundaries if they respected hers... yet Tsubaki couldn't help but well in delight from the demon joining her game.

He hadn't projected it like a human would, but deep under the surface, he calculated with anger. The thrill had almost made her overstay her welcome. If she hadn't sent the image of an empty teapot to Shiori's mind in the next room, giving the woman the urge to check, Tsubaki would have been an evening snack for his plants.

Speaking of snack, she dug into her lunch. _Good, an extra rice ball._ She bit into seaweed and fluffy rice, stuffed with peppered tuna. The world seemed to glow with wonder that morning. Beam with beauty—

She stubbed her foot into a pavement crack and almost twisting her ankle when her heavy shoulder bags dragged her forward. She glared down at the crack under her shoes and groaned. Bad luck.

"Güzel, come out. I know you're out there." She wiped clumps of sticky rice on her mouth. She stomped on the crack, blaming it for her bad luck. "Come out. Don't make me wait all day. I had a feeling I was being followed."

To the people crossing from Main Street, the teenager called to open air.

Tsubaki saw her as she waved her thin fingers with a coy, blue-lipped smile. Dressed in long robes made of reflective thread, the Illusion with rich midnight skin and long cornflower hair, legs long and thin as a giraffe's graced the stone wall across the street. Güzel, the Illusion of Beauty, who bodied it with jaw-dropping exuberance. The ethereal beauty should have attracted worshipping stares from humans who walked by, if only she could be seen.

Tsubaki climbed the steps and walked on the stone to meet Güzel in the middle, overlooking the street and traffic. "Where's Kara? Is he not with you? Please send him my love, would you?" She looked around the Illusion playfully.

Güzel didn't bite the bait, but she turned up her snub nose. "He doesn't know I'm here and he wouldn't think the risk would be worth it. Even for you."

Tsubaki pouted. Sadly for her, both knew she could shoot the best quips and still be the butt of the joke in her human form. She certainly felt ultra-human, bending over, while minding her skirt (not made with luminous thread) to pack her half eaten rice ball back in her bento.

The Illusion's hand swept through Tsubaki's hair. The green blanched in the sunlight and it hadn't helped that her hair lacked its usual shine. "Even in another incarnation your hair still has too much yellow in it to be pretty."

Tsubaki smoothed her hair, _accidentally_ slapping Güzel's hand. "You haven't changed a bit."

"You are...very different." Her eyes roved Tsubaki's body with an air of crushed expectations. _Skin without our vibrant blue glow, her small body that was still too heavy and clumsy, power too low to count for anything_ , Güzel projected in full honesty. The Illusion tittered and Tsubaki wanted to cover her ear from the sound.

"You as a human. A fate worse than grim reapers gnawing on you to death. You're so squishy, look at you." She pinched the soft fat of Tsubaki's cheek. "Old you could have flicked you away with just a finger. Old you was also prettier but that's not saying much."

Tsubaki bit the inside of her cheek as Güzel squeezed. To think, Tsubaki had been in a good mood before. She spoke aloud though to commuters she chatted to air, with a pinched face, sitting randomly on the stone slab. "That was a clever way of teasing me and complimenting me," she said with fake enthusiasm.

"Are you saying you missed me?" Güzel's lashes fluttered like iridescent butterfly wings. "I wanted to come and check on you. How long has it been now?" The Illusion's sleeve flowed with graceful waves of her nimble hand. She enjoyed the pearl glimmers in her robes, multi-colored in the sunlight.

"Sixteen short years. Are you offering your help, some beads of wisdom, or were you just bored?"

Güzel snorted in a crass way that didn't suit the dainty beauty. "My power can't help you here. Besides, knowing you, you want to hog all the fun to yourself—wait" Alert, she paused. She searched their surroundings, like a feline huntress seeking a scent. She focused on the street, and Tsubaki knew she shed the layers, seeing further than the human eye ever could. "A demon is trailing you."

Tsubaki shut her eyes, reading the area in her mind. She saw her stalker. "I see him. He hasn't moved an inch since you appeared. Don't worry about him. He's harmless." She tapped her forehead, her mind's eye.

Güzel sighed with a cynical edge. "To see you sitting there, continuing the human charade, dressed in human garb, dallying away with your human routine when there imminent threats... This is all just a game to you, isn't it? Why aren't you taking this more seriously?"

Tsubaki crossed her arms. "I am, Güzel. As serious as a heart attack."

Puzzlement never looked more beautiful. "Huh?"

"Never mind. It's a human expression. But I meant if my moves aren't obvious that means I'm doing something right."

"Remember first and foremost that your only true responsibility is to guard. The reason for you to be Anahtar."

"Well, I can't do that when I'm in the human world, can I?"

" _Anahtar_." Eyes the color of polished onyx narrowed. Her beauty of celestial proportion, to Tsubaki's chagrin, could evoke fear.

Tsubaki sighed. Did anyone have a sense of humor anymore? "I am aware of the 'chains' of my responsibility and I assure you it is my highest priority."

"If it were, you would act more selfless."

"I deserve to be a little selfish."

Güzel shrugged. "Maybe you're right. Forget others and forget about self-awareness about the consequences of your actions. This is just too personal to you." All sarcasm.

Tsubaki checked her watch to ignore her. "Is nagging all you came to see me for?"

"No, I come with a gift." She snapped her fingers. A watery sphere formed from thin air and began to knead itself fine as thread. The glimmering thread circled Tsubaki's wrist. "You know, since you don't need anyone's help."

Tsubaki rotated her wrist, eyeing the clasp-less bracelet. "I could always use more jewelry."

"It's a power aid," Güzel said. "Use it and you'll return to full power for a short time. One time use, so choose wisely. Or don't."

Tsubaki smiled. "Someday I will repay you for your kindness."

She sighed. "There is one more thing. I'm also here to warn you. If things get out of hand, Temiz and the others will intervene and put a stop to it."

Tsubaki's smile vanished. "You heard this from Temiz?" _Why would he of all people be involved?_

"Not him. I overheard others talking about it."

Tsubaki sighed with relief and that surprised her. "Whoever you overheard was bluffing. If that's true, why haven't they stopped this whole thing already? I'm sure he has more important things to do that high and mighty bastard—"

Güzel interrupted. "You misunderstand. There are only you and Gunah. Temiz, that high and might bastard, as you called him if you make him come down and fuss about us, he knows that stopping this whole mess simply requires stopping one of you."

"Wait... you mean me? Would go after me? I already have Spirit World and their goons to worry about." Her aghast made people on the street stop at the teenager talking to a figment of her imagination.

 _"Should someone try and get her to come down?"_

 _"Is she on drugs?"_

 _"Too much homework must have fried her brain."_

 _And the goon stalking you is becoming impatient_. She frowned. "You are the easier target Ms Squishy, I'm afraid. Unlike you, Gunah didn't waste sixteen years as a squishy human."

 _I didn't waste sixteen years._ "Do you know something about him that I don't?"

"You know him better than I ever could. I watched what happened yesterday. He is a lot stronger now."

Tsubaki held the bracelet. She'd need ten of them. "Tell Nazar to come and I will work with him." She pictured the willowy Illusion with blond hair and Goz-blessed turquoise eyes. All the better because Gunah hated him and hated it when she wore his form the other day in the alley. "I'll tell him everything."

Güzel shut her eyes, and her mind closed to shield the image. "Nazar has been destroyed."

On the warmest morning of the year, a paralyzing chill snaked through Tsubaki's bones. She never forgot she was human but in that moment, the mortality of being human hit her like a wrecking ball of steel.

Güzel turned to face Tsubaki, eye to eye, mind to mind. She then spoke in a soft, imploring tone Tsubaki had never heard from her. "Now do you see why you should be taking this more seriously?"

Tsubaki didn't speak or move, again still recovering from the horrible news about Nazar.

"I don't envy you." Were Güzel's last words before she vanished from Tsubaki's vision, the only human in the vicinity who could see her.

* * *

Koenma flipped book after book, map roll after map roll; the answer no clearer to him than the day prior when he started his research. "NOTHING! There's no trace of them anywhere!" He smacked the book stack off his desk at Ogre.

"The footage I have of Yusuke and the others facing the Illusions is the only known footage of any Illusion. There are plenty of unaccredited examples but those are as reliable as those grainy images of the Loch Ness monster or Big Foot. The hard part is that we probably have thousands of images of Illusions but just don't know it because of their powers makes them hard to identify."

Koenma hadn't kept information from Yusuke and Botan but even he didn't know what Anahtar looked like or what the Illusions could do. Stories were one thing. Seeing was another.

"Not even so much as a snapshot or drawing. I've searched through beasts, demons, humans and no evidence of them anywhere!"

"Koenma sir," Ogre held up a finger to mark his question.

"What Ogre!" He cried as a threat rather than a question.

He ducked, covering his head that sported two red bumps. "You forgot to say that you searched through spirits. They naturally were included in your research right?"

No, they hadn't been included but didn't mean Koenma wasn't literally just about to swerve to that side of his archive before Ogre opened his pie-hole—

"Koenma sir," said Botan, stepping over the strewn tomes.

"WHAT Botan?!"

She backpedaled at the roar. "Your father...said he wanted to see you. Urgently."

"My-my father?"

"The King?!" Ogre piped up from behind the desk.

"What would he want with me?"

"I hope it hasn't anything to do with the failure last time," said a baritone voice behind Botan.

They turned breathlessly to the Illusion they hadn't heard or sensed walk in.

"Oh good, you're here Kuvvet," said Koenma. "Just the man I was hoping to see—"

Ogre tapped Koenma's shoulder, his arm extended as far as he could for safety. "Maybe it would be a better idea to discuss matters with your father first."

His face flushing, steam could have come out of his ears. "I was JUST about to say that Ogre! Stop taking the words from my mouth!"

"My apologies to Spirit World." Kuvvet bowed his head. "If the Junior King Koenma is so inclined, I can take full accountability in front of King Enma."

"Full accountability?"

"For the mishap yesterday. I should have shared what I sensed with the Spirit Detective and his comrades. Maybe they would have fared better against Anahtar. I would have jumped into the fray sooner, but I sensed no murderous vibe in the air. Choosing the narrow alley to fight had been a mistake. Not all mistakes were my own though. Maybe I shouldn't say why…"

"Go ahead Kuvvet."

"I heard what the humans and demons said before I revealed myself. They arrived ill-prepared and did not heed my warnings even after I used energy to conjure a relic from their past as a demonstration. I do not hold hands. I prefer holding feet to the fire."

"After what I saw yesterday they learned their lesson the painful way," said Koenma.

"I _must_ insist that Yusuke is taking this case seriously now if he wasn't before," said Botan.

"That said—" Kuvvet looked to her. "I believe it was very wrong of me to not share more information sooner."

"No Kuvvet. It is my fault for being so frustrated at my own lack of information that I passed them to you with misconceptions about the case. Those idiots left thinking they were going after a troll."

Kuvvet chuckled, his sleeve over his mouth. "Misconceptions yes, but I saw bravery and a real sense of wanting to protect this world. I have full faith in them."

Botan sighed and Koenma nodded with slight relief. "I'm glad to hear that."

"Strength is my affinity, Lord Koenma. A mark of strength is taking accountability for mistakes if you would do me the honor."

"I appreciate it Kuvvet. Your offer tempts me. If I were more certain of my father's intentions I would send you but for now, I will face my father alone."

Kuvvet didn't nod but rather he bowed. "In the meantime, I will go back to the Illusion world and seek reinforcements."

* * *

Botan is it?" said Kuvvet in the hall.

Was this his way of confirming her name? Botan's feedback from Yusuke told her that the Illusions (or at least Kuvvet) weren't the best in rapport with non-Illusions. "Yep, Botan's my name. Spirit detective's assistant and pilot of the River Styx at your service. Pleased to meet you."

"If you don't mind me, I wanted to comment on your hair," he said.

"Oh, what about it?" She brought her tail of hair to her face to check it. "Don't tell me I have debris stuck in it. Not again!"

Yusuke had told her about Kuvvet's true form in a short gruff way but up close she could see his unearthly skin and handsome features. In person, blue shimmered in his dark curls, his eyes were the sweet color of cornflowers. His skin matched Yusuke yet under the thin skin peeked blue tones, what Botan understood without words, was his real skin. She noticed a small scar on his cheek before she caught herself staring for too long.

He chuckled. "No debris or anything like that. I couldn't help but notice the color of your hair."

She blinked before blushing. "Oh, thank you very much. A girl loves it when her hair is noticed."

"I guess I have to give you some context. To the Illusions the color blue is sacred. A mark of very good energy or _goz_ in a person. Good goz is everything—good luck, fortune, strength, and beauty. Your true blue hair would be the spectacle of envy back home."

Strange Botan thought of humans infected with Makai insects or grim reaping—not necessarily nice images—when she thought of blue. Of course. The Illusions had a culture, history, ideals of beauty. Just as long and elaborate as the other worlds and she had never thought to ask before. Maybe it could help with the case or maybe knowing some of those facts would help bridge the gap between their worlds. Botan felt shallow at that moment for never considering what made Illusions tick.

She looked to the handsome Illusion again, running her hands through her hair with a new perspective. "Kuvvet, that was very kind of you to tell me."

* * *

The radio on the newsstand caught Tsubaki's attention as she reflected on her talk with Güzel.

"Warm temps are officially here to stay folks!" The forecaster said with exasperation, panting like a dog in his studio.

Tsubaki stuck her hand out to catch the white flake of frozen crystal. A single large gray cloud hovered in the clear blue sky, dusting the southern coastal part of the city with gentle snowfall.

The snowflake landed on her warm palm and melted. As real as the snow from late winter. People dressed in short sleeves and shorts pointed and stared in awe of the freak cloud.

She closed her palm. She changed roads but continued towards school at a slow pace. She wasn't going to make the first bell unless she spirited there but she needed the walk. The bracelet on her wrist. She knew better than to doubt an Illusion's work but even she couldn't feel a lot of power in the simple bracelet. At least not enough power.

She still had that half eaten rice ball. She bent over to open her bento.

Tsubaki hadn't forgotten about her stalker but his sudden attack still surprised her as she jumped out of the way just in the nick of time. Her rice ball went flying and exploded like confetti. His blade cut grains of rice in half. He sliced through her leather bag's strap pad and even cut the shoulder of her sweater. _Great._

The unfinished rice ball was now a casualty on the pavement. That rice ball could have just as easily been her arm.

She faced Hiei, the only Jaganshi in the human world. He had third vision. At least they had that much in common.

Rice stuck to his clothes and hair. She might have laughed if Hiei projecting murderous intent weren't so terrifying. _Kara would be proud._

Hiei had known how to find her. She pictured a certain redhead who sicced his plants on her.

 _That fox has a terrible memory but loose lips._

He flicked the rice off his blade.

A female name in his mind. That had been reason number one for his anger.

He unveiled his false eye and the lid twitched open, awakened by his demon energy. Her mouth twitched. Jagan eyes deserved no respect but Hiei wasn't her priority.

"Look at me," she tapped her forehead indicating his false eye. "What do you see?"

Unlike Kurama, Tsubaki wouldn't dare sneak a peek into an angry Jaganshi's mind — that begged for an onslaught of mental lesions. He already projected his vengeful intentions to take the pain of her mental fog over his third eye and repay it ten times.

Jaganshi and their existence insulted her as an Illusion. Demons like him wanted third vision, only to abuse and squander it. He didn't even grasp what respect meant. Even facing an angry demon and a sword with her name on it, she could admit that aiming for his Jagan eye in the alley fight had been 100% for her own righteous amusement. And she'd do it again.

 _What do you see?_ She asked again.

"There are abilities my Jagan has that your mind eye lacks, Illusion," he said.

Like the ability to pinpoint her precise location. Tsubaki had never tested it herself. "My mind eye isn't built like yours—mine's real."

There was very little internal dialogue in Hiei, whereas others would gabble their moves, like secrets they couldn't keep. He battled with perfect instinct from what she saw the other day. Her best code of action was to dodge and forget about offense—

Pain in her arm. Pain of every fiber and cell of her skin, muscle, and bones stabbed with needles. With a loud cry, she cradled her arm, her knees actually shaking to hold her.

Hiei even paused, watching her grasp her elbow, her watering eyes bulging wide. "I haven't even touched you yet."

The pain, like a match in the wind, burned out fast to her intense relief. Her elbow only throbbed now, but at least she could string a solid thought together and take care of Hiei.

The Jaganshi could have sliced her into cold cuts in the vulnerable moment. He hadn't, but judging by his smoldering blood red eyes, he wasn't pleased for the interruption.

 _When was I injured? None of them had laid a hand on me the previous day. But at the demon's house, I let my guard down… Kurama…_

She almost ripped her sleeve as she rolled it up. She half expected to see a tree growing out of her arm. Except for veins, nothing green under her skin. She focused on shedding layers of skin, muscle, tendon, down to the marrow of her bones. No sign of a demon plant or a seed.

Darkness cursed her elbow. In her mind's eye, the bones and muscles were the color of rot.

 _No, not Kurama. Something else._

"Your arm," Hiei's third eye squinted.

She finally peered to him, her mind adjusting slower than usual. _The Jaganshi can see. But I don't get it._ _What's wrong with him? It would have been so easy when my back was turned._

A presence, heavy and unyielding replied, _that is something too deep for you to ever 'see', Illusion._

She slowly rose to her feet, anger curdling in her stomach as she faced him. "Sorry, but I'm going to have to cut this short."

* * *

Hiei only saw the snap of her fingers before the mental fog confused him again.

He swung his sword but his blade sliced through the air of an afterimage. The fog cleared as fast as it hit, but he had given her too much time to escape.

The Illusion was gone, _again_.

He picked rice and fish from his clothes and sword. Though he had heard her moan in her mind about losing the food, she had thrown it at his face. The bursting ball had startled him enough (even caught in his eyes) that he missed his target. The fast trick had saved her arm. The arm that turned dark at the elbow, only visible to those with the third eye. If Hiei recognized the curse, its type at least, the pain from slicing off her arm would be less than what she'd endure soon.

Unnatural snow fell from the single cloud in the otherwise sunny blue sky.

By the end of her misery, she'd be easier to catch.

* * *

A showdown with Hiei should be serious, but I needed to give a reason for Hiei to lose. His honor won't let him attack when something is amiss, at least that's my interpretation of him. If you haven't noticed Tsubaki can be a jerk sometimes, but her arrogance comes with a price. Btw, this is not Botan/OC so don't read too much into her conversation with Kuvvet.

If anything was unclear or confusing please let me know. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and please let me know what you thought. Major thanks to Yileen for reviewing the last one! Cheers!


	5. Mint

Btw, the Illusion names are based on Turkish and Turkic words. There's some method to the madness, I promise. This is a shorter chapter than the previous ones but the next scene with Kurama is a long one so it felt like a natural chapter break. Special thanks to Yileen and Star Charter for reviewing the last one. As always, I'm open to your feedback and I hope you enjoy this chapter :)

* * *

Kuwabara kicked a bottle cap down the sidewalk. It was his lunch hour but instead of meeting with Urameshi or his friends, he took a stroll to visit his other best pal.

He stopped at the icy air that blew through his uniform. The bottle cap skipped on the concrete and sloshed into a pile of new snow. It was everywhere ahead of him, mounting into hills shoveled aside to clear the road or sculpted into snow people.

After being the talk of town and spot for recreation, people were being warned to stay away from the area until the situation was investigated.

He peered up at the freakcloud. One storm cloud in the clear blue sky had turned that spot of the city into a wintry biome. The smoky cold scent in the crisp air brought back soothing memories for him. On the corner, he saw a chocolate advert that read: _The World is Just About To Get Cooler._

Around the corner, he saw the unnatural, ominous cloud in full, uninterrupted view. He had first seen it from afar as a small gray puff, but up close it was dense and monstrous. To his surprise, the cloud looked animate and alive as it kneaded like dough. _Was it getting larger_ _—_

Something crunched in the snow and nuzzled against his leg. Kuwabara nearly jumped out of his skin but upon seeing his pet cat he sighed in relief. The tightness in his chest and his racing heart surprised him. _Why am I tense all of a sudden? I nearly had a heart attack_ _…_

"Hey, little guy."

Eikichi rubbed his cheek affectionately against Kuwabara's hand.

"Staying warm? You oughta move to a warm part of town until we sort out that weird cloud."

The cat wiggled his body, shaking off the snow on his plush fur. He crawled into Kuwabara's arms for their usual hug when the human sensed a heavy presence.

A strange, oppressive one that seemed to press down on his head. He concentrated, holding Eikichi closer to his chest.

Expecting something large and looming, he slowly turned around but sighed in relief again. _Just someone on a bench, watching the snow. Nothing to worry about._ Yet his senses wouldn't relent. _I don_ _'t feel any demon energy or evil auras, but I can't shake the feeling of deja vu—_ Kuwabara squeaked, his stomach pinched with fear.

Eikichi meowed nervously.

 _It_ _'s the Illusion. But how do I know?_

A chill, not from the snow, tightened every muscle from head to toe. The spot on his back where she had kicked him and tipped him over the _non-_ building was still sore. He had screamed his throat raw then and it still hurt.

The oppressive sensation pushed down on him even harder and he ground his teeth against it.

"Well done psychic." A green haired girl finally turned to acknowledge the human, her breath clouding on the otherwise temperate spring day. She stood from the bench to approach him. She carried a candy bag in the palm of her hand and carried on her shoulders a school bag and a torn messenger bag that had seen better days.

His teeth chattered, causing Eikichi to meow again.

She placed something into her mouth and chewed.

 _Get it together! It_ _'s not like she can pull that building trick a second time because now I'm ready!_

With fresh gall, Kuwabara shoved his fears deep within him, almost to his feet and faced the short girl who came only to his chin.

Up close he recognized her uniform belonged to an Aojou student. There was a nick in the shoulder of her cream sweater. "How long do you plan on keeping this disguise? What are you gonna transform into next? A circus clown? Do you take requests like a jukebox?"

That last comment made her snort. "What you see is what you get," she said.

Again, up close to his naked eye he wouldn't look twice at the inconspicuous looking girl. It had to be a disguise especially after what Botan said about them, after what he saw in the alley. Those Illusions were semisolid, dressed weird and gave him the creeps. He laughed like a horse in his _aha_ moment. "Nice try! You expect me to believe that. I was told Illusions would have giant bellies and tiny mouths."

The tiny amount of humor in her vanished when she groaned with a roll of her eyes. It reminded him all too much of Hiei before he called him 'stupid.' "Why do people say that every time? Not sure how that was translated between worlds but that is just supposed to be a metaphor. I promise right here and now, what you see is what you get," she said.

Kuwabara used his impressive height to loom over her. She didn't look so scary without the smoke and mirrors. _And I_ _'m telling YOU Illusion! That is a disguise. In fact the worst disguise ever. Any minute now you're gonna spin and turn into a giraffe with googly eyes._

Her dark eyes bulged, taking half the size of her face. His high-pitched squeal frightened the cat. Her face turned to normal and she giggled.

 _Quick. How can I get the heck outta here?_

She ate another chocolate from the bag. Then she frowned. She held out the bag to him.

He stared at her for three long seconds, from the bag to her frown. "What?"

"Take a piece. I went a little too far with that joke and the roof one too." She shook the bag, jiggling the chocolate balls inside as if to entice him. "My mother says it's not a joke if I'm the only one laughing."

He narrowed his eyes. _Mother? NO. Don't get distracted. This Illusion thinks she_ _'s soooo clever._ "You think I'm dumb enough to fall for that? I _know_ you're just trying to poison me."

She shrugged before leaning towards the cat in his arms. "Can't say I didn't try. Awww he's so cute," she scratched under Eikichi's chin.

The cat had just begun to purr before Kuwabara twisted away, holding the cat high from her reach with a snarl. "YOU THINK HE IS GOING TO FALL FOR YOUR TRICKS TOO? NOT TODAY."

She reeled away as if Kuwabara were a strong gust of wind. "Sad part is that this so far has been the _least_ combative interaction I've had with any of you," she said, rolling her sleeves over her hands to warm them.

"What do you mean by that?"

"You're the only one who hasn't tried to attack me out of the blue, which is why" —she took another chocolate— "I offered the sweets. You've been sweet to me Kuwabara."

The merciful person in Kuwabara wanted to relent, but he steeled himself. "Aren't you forgetting that you fought us and kicked me off a roof?"

She shot him a peeved look. "You boys attacked _me_ first. Why does everyone keep forgetting that?"

"Fine. Urameshi did fire his spirit gun first, _but you kicked me off a roof._ "

"OK. You happy? I _did_ kick you off a roof. You, humans, have no sense of humor. None of you were even that badly hurt. I guess I was wrong about you. I thought you understood how I helped you before your friend attacked me."

 _Helped me?_ His hot bravado chilled like the wintry air around them. The air was cooler than before.

"Wait, I _do_ have a question that's been bugging me." She brushed his mind as if it were hair through a comb.

"Go on," she said after chewing her chocolate.

"With Rando, no, I mean _not-_ Rando…when he suddenly disappeared after Kuvvet made him… appear… that was you, wasn't it? You stopped not-Rando right?"

She nodded and smiled with pride. "See? _That_ I will take credit for. Gunah was annngggrrrry and perfectly willing to let you boys to eat your words. _'They're not taking it—me—seriously._ ' Tsk. Tsk, Gunah. You should know not to kill your allies," she said. Her voice mocked Kuvvet's baritone.

"So…I have another question" He noticed he had unconsciously inched away from her. "That cloud… was made by an Illusion, right?"

Snow like puffs of cotton slid against their faces.

"You bet," she said.

He blinked, waiting for her to say more. "Wait…why would you freely admit to that?"

"Admit to what? That it is Illusion made? That much is true."

 _The Illusion would gladly take credit for helping him but not for the scary gray cloud that oozed with ominous energy._ "You're confusing." Eikichi curled into a ball and Kuwabara was grateful for the bundle of warmth against his uniform when his teeth chattered again. It was definitely colder. "What are you going to do with it?"

She gazed up at the gray cloud, the way it kneaded and rolled was a mesmerizing sight. "Watching is all I can do right now. Soon it will mature and a spirit will crawl out of it—"

He twisted Eikichi away with protective instinct. "Wha! A spirit? You mean like one of you?"

She nodded again. "I don't recommend hanging around when it does."

 _I better tell Urameshi and the others_ _—no! Hold on!_ Noticing he was curling his body away from her, he stood straight and tall with newfound resolve. "Well, what's to stop me now from making my spirit sword go long and spearing it like a shish kebab?" He guffawed, picturing the glorious sight. "I'll call it the Kuwabara-Shish-Kebab-Super-Attack."

Her eyes widened and Kuwabara's heart was in his throat.

"It would eat you." She ate another chocolate and he recoiled against the road barrier with a cold sweat at his forehead. The cat's tail stood on heightened alert. Her lips curled into a smile and her face reddened with restraint. She soon burst into giggles, in the same cruel way she had before kicking him screaming for dear life off the building edge. He had only met her twice and he believed he'd never forget her laugh. That it would haunt him in his nightmares forever.

"I'm just playing. I have no idea what would happen. You should have seen your face." She managed to say between chewing her chocolate and giggling.

He heaved a deep breath, unease slithered through him as uncaring as the chill. He wanted to dash away, back into the warmth, away from the Illusion. _These darn Illusions give me the creeps._

* * *

As much as she was enjoying her rapport with Kuwabara, her mind was elsewhere. Stuck on Hiei. The Jaganshi whose third eye insulted her existence.

She had never made it to school. After parlaying with Güzel and her adrenaline high from Hiei's surprise, not to mention her torn sweater that would get her demerits, she wasn't in the mood. Perfect attendance for the year was lost. One less award that year and Esumi would rub it in her face, but so be it. As long as she made it to the lecture later.

After stalking her all morning, Hiei had almost sliced off her arm. The murderous intent that radiated off him made him threatening even with rice and tuna stuck to his clothing and hair. When she had doubled over from elbow pain, he hadn't taken the easy shot. His false eye could see the curse in her arm and maybe that distracted him just long enough.

Tsubaki noticing he had paused before attacking was nearly enough to distract her out of fleeing the scene.

Before her elbow erupted with pain, she had managed to _hear_ the name uttered in his mind, the catalyst that had sent him charging after her as soon as Kurama told him how to find her. _Yukina_.

He had been in the mood to attack first and ask questions later. Yet he hadn't killed her. He still planned to, with every fiber of his being. Yet he hadn't at that moment when it would have been so easy. Something had held him back and Tsubaki couldn't suppress her desire to know.

She had muddled her trail but if he really tried he could trace her again with his Jagan. A few hours had passed since and Hiei hadn't reappeared on her radar.

She looked to the jellyroll haired boy next to her. Despite his overt tough guy act, she read zero intent on his behalf to attack or arrest her. Not that he could do much damage anyway.

He had also uttered Yukina, both with love in his mind and when he screamed so loud it had nearly pierced her eardrum. The image he had projected of an angelic face and garnet eyes had been so powerful, a woman of that likeliness had entered Tsubaki's dreams the previous night. She wondered if the girl's face was really that angelic, eyes that lush of a red, or if the boy romanticized her into a person that didn't exist. Maybe he even fantasized a relationship with her. Why were they all so alike?

"Yu-ki-na," the Illusion sounded the name as if it were foreign to her.

He, who had been shouting at her almost cartoonishly, turned to her in quiet resolution. There was a calm in his eyes but an eerie calm before the storm. She hadn't sensed the intention to attack, but rather the unyielding will to protect the one he loved.

Something dawned on her, evident by her wordless nod.

"Excuse me?" he asked.

"That's why you came here. The snow reminds you of her."

She crept into his mind and he fought it with a jerk. The sensation was like being swatted on the forehead, but she preferred that to Kurama's demon energy burning her out of his mind.

"Get out of my head, Illusion!" He writhed, almost dropping Eikichi as he backpedaled, hitting his back hard against the metal road barrier.

"Tsubaki," she said.

"What?"

"Tsubaki Yabu. That's my name. Human name. Stop calling me Illusion. Anahtar or Tsubaki. I'll respond to either, but in front of humans, stick to Tsubaki. M'kay?"

A few millimeters of snow had already fallen since they met and began to clump into a crown in her green hair.

"Earlier, you said _mother,_ " said Kuwabara and she understood the hinted question.

She rolled back her sleeve and raised her open hand to touch him. He wriggled away as if her palm were a burning iron.

"Would you like to _see_ or not? If so then hold still. It will hurt less this way," she said.

 _He_ _'s more scared of_ not _holding still._ With a gulp, he allowed her to press three fingers against his temple. By direct transfer like a cord to his mind's eye, she projected the mental image of a woman with tawny hair tied into a tight ponytail, thin-rimmed glasses, dressed in a white doctor's coat.

"She's human?" he said, staring like one would taking in the details of a photograph.

"Just like you and Yukina," she said.

"Oh, um well…" He hesitated.

Tsubaki removed her fingers. "You were saying?"

"Never mind."

Eikichi shifted his position in Kuwabara's arms for a comfier seat. Without thinking about it, Tsubaki petted the cat's head and Kuwabara watched the cat's face. Eikichi shut his eyes and tilted his head to her hand. He purred and Kuwabara relaxed judging by the slack in his stance.

"About Yukina," said Tsubaki. "You said you would sacrifice everything for her."

"Um, but when did I tell you that?"

Did everyone have a poor memory? "When we first met. You know…when I kicked you. When I fought all of you. Each of you thought of the people or person for whom you would sacrifice everything."

"That counts as telling you? You reading our thoughts in a scary moment like that is a normal conversation to you?"

 _She_ had been scary? Sure she had played a few jokes but she barely touched them. Ok, she really injured Kurama but the demon took it like a champ. No real damage to any of them yet all of them now bore a grudge. "That _is_ how Illusions communicate, speaking all the time is too direct, but I digress," she said with an annoyed edge in her voice, adjusting the weight of her torn bag — _thank you Jaganshi._ "You would give your life for her, but I want to ask something."

"Go on, Illusion."

Tsubaki ignored that. "Would she do the same for you? Would you _make_ her swear to do the same?"

 _Make her?_ He mouthed breathlessly. Eikichi meowed, glancing between Kuwabara and Tsubaki, whiskers twitching.

His face darkened and his aura strengthened. "I would _never_ demand such a thing from her. I would consider myself and anyone who would do that a monster of the worst kind."

 _Amazing. Like Hiei, he has a 'something' too._

They stood in silence in the cold, forgotten corner of the city. The heat of the sun, spring and the lively city sat only a hundred meters away but might as well been as far as the moon.

* * *

"I'm jealous," she said and he believed it with all his soul.

As a psychic, he sensed and saw it. There was the ugly twitch in her features but in his mind, he saw the long gaze that reminded him of a green-eyed serpent. Perhaps it was only a trick, but he heard the slew of the toxic words that were hissed behind his ear.

She held out the chocolate bag to offer again.

Kuwabara squinted his eyes, weighing his decision carefully. She had eaten three pieces after he accused her of trying to feed him contaminated chocolate. He reached in and took a teeny piece. It began to melt between his warm fingers.

The weight on his head released. He actually felt lighter on his feet. He knew the Illusion was gone before he glanced up. Anxious to leave before, he remained frozen to the spot, processing the awkward yet unnerving interaction. Eikichi's paw nudging his cheek awakened him from his daze.

He finally ate the chocolate and the strong minty flavor hit him like a punch to his nose. He shivered to shake off the chill of the cloud and the Illusion. He carried Eikichi away with him back to warmth, leaving the snow that had always been so comforting to him. He turned the corner and saw the chocolate advert was gone. _Had it ever been there or was it just another trick?_


	6. Adabana

Pushing onward! I can't tell if this chapter is slower because much of it occurs in school and I'm comparing it to the first where punches are flying. Thank you Yileen for your feedback on the last one! That scene with Kuwabara was spur of the moment and not in the original outline. I'm glad to include more of him because I have a soft spot in my heart for him. Aoshojo by the way is a nickname for Aojo students (青少女)

* * *

徒花ーあだばなーAdabana

Definition:

1\. A non-fruit-bearing flower

2\. A person who is flashy but without substance

* * *

Kurama sat in his window seat, his eyes in a book but he processed none of the words. News of the freak cloud had spread during morning lessons but lost buzz by lunch time. From the third floor, Kurama could see the gray puff, a stain in the orange afternoon sky. Soon, he'd leave school and investigate the cloud up close. He sensed no demon aura or anything close to human. Simply neither but there still lurked an eerie something. Was that what sensing an Illusion felt like?

Three students—Eda, Inada, and Osamu—approached him.

With a clipboard, Eda, a first-year student, seemed to muster her courage to talk to him.

Kurama glanced up from his book and she blushed lightly, losing her words for a second when her lips trembled.

"We're having a psychology lecture after school and I'm gathering students who want to attend," she said, ducking behind the clipboard after holding his gaze for two seconds.

"I appreciate you asking me, but my schedule is full today," he said.

"Well, if you change your mind—" she began but the taller boy, from Kurama's homeroom, interrupted.

"Forget it, Eda. I told you that Minamino never joins," said Inada, patting her on the shoulder. Her face ticked at his touch but she said nothing.

"Hey, Daigo, I know you're joining. Right?" Osamu asked the boy seated towards the front of the class.

Scribbling in his notebook, a messy-haired boy waved his hand to acknowledge him.

"Oh trust me. He's going," said Inada with a knowing smirk.

Osamu shrugged and Eda sighed, shaking her head.

"Lay off him, even if you don't agree with his reasons for _academic enrichment._ Sano-sensei isn't going to care. He told us to ask gifted students. Those were his words, not mine. Probably doesn't want us to look dumb," said Inada.

"For the last time, it's not a competition. Especially not today. It's a lecture. We share knowledge, ask questions, and learn." She rolled her eyes.

The two boys looked at each other then back to her.

"You're still new to this," said Inada.

"Osamu is new too," she said.

"But he's still a second-year student and you're still learning the ropes. Little meetings like this between schools before real competition are what we call soft power. I was a newbie once and my sempai told me the same thing: Don't sweat Aoshoujos. We know we can't compete with them."

The dirty-blonde restrained her ugly expression, seeing that Kurama was still paying attention. "I have talked to Aojo students. They told me that their team spends at least twenty hours a week studying in addition to their homework and other classes and activities. Our school, any school, could compete with them if we put in more hours and met more often—

"It's not that. It's money, money, money," sang Osamu.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked.

"I mean, we'd stand a better chance if we had a similar endowment," he said.

Eda groaned with building frustration.

Kurama remembered hearing about the defeat against Aojo in their first year. They seemed to have forgotten all about him, sitting quietly listening along.

Inada scratched his cheek, shutting his eyes as if to remember. "You haven't been in competition with them. I have. It's demoralizing. They're wicked smart and study like hell. Money is just one part of it, but it doesn't hurt."

Eda raised her voice. "I see that, but we still need to try—"

"They asked last year: do we want to put in the time? Sacrifice everything else, social lives, and other interests to win? We decided no. We'd rather learn, go to competitions, meet cool people in the field and settle for third place."

She sized up the two second-year students but instead of saying more, she folded her arms and her mouth pursed.

"Today, focus on networking with T-uni professors. They'll go to fancy schools like theirs to watch lectures, groom them for picking, but rarely to ours," Inada said. "Most of the time you'll have to corner them but if you can impress them with smart questions during the q&a they'll walk right up to you."

"Oh really? Good thing psychology is my best subject," said Osamu.

"They are going today because of joint research between schools and their best subject. Supposedly, Mikata Kumashiro and Tsubaki Yabu are their best and psychology is Yabu's forte," she said.

Osamu scoffed. "We'll see about that."

"Well, Osamu, the newbie, is hoping to hold his own and will learn the hard way. Meanwhile, Aojo's Kumashiro is the only reason Daigo is going," said Inada with a laugh.

"Are your ears hot, Daigo?" Osamu jabbed the boy, ignoring Inada's warning.

"Can't say who has worse reasons," she said, drumming her fingers on her clipboard. "I bet it has no relation to how far our team goes."

"You can go ahead and tell Sano-sensei that it will be just the four of us," said Inada.

Kurama shut his book and stood. "There was something I planned to take care of after school but on second thought, I think I will join."

Eda hugged her clipboard before signing Shuichi's name beneath hers.

* * *

Daigo's hairline grew wet with sweat when a girl with glasses and long black hair tied into low pigtails rushed in the large auditorium. "Mikata Kumashiro…" He hummed with a light blush. "New glasses, I can definitely tell. Her other ones were thicker rimmed."

"Get a hold of yourself," said Inada, punching him in the arm.

It was the first time Kurama had ever been inside Aojo's stately campus and Osamu's song of "money, money, money" summarized the immaculate school and its students perfectly. Next to Meiou were three groups from other local high schools. Aojo's girls sat in the front row with easy access to the podium. Fifteen after five o'clock and the conference hadn't commenced yet.

"Shall we go ahead sensei?" A lanky university student asked his supervisor. "If she's not here by now I don't think…"

"You _know_ she's always late."

The student nodded. "I'm very aware, but Kumashiro said she hadn't attended classes earlier."

That wiped the certain expression from the academic's face. "She might be sick then. Are Kumashiro or Esumi willing to present?"

The student pointed to the girl next to Kumashiro with a teal headband. "I asked and Esumi is very excited to do it. Shall we start?"

The portly man checked his watch despite checking it only moments prior. "Might as well—"

A door opened in the back of the hall and Tsubaki Yabu walked in.

The pigtailed girl shook her head, mouthing: _where the heck_ _have_ _you been?_

Tsubaki giggled behind her hand, before bowing to her teacher and supervisor. "I'm so embarrassed. Please excuse my tardiness Professor Ubata, Tamuro-san."

Ubata raised his brows at Tamuro with a half amused murmur. "Go inform the stage manager that we're ready."

Kurama remembered his mother who had been charmed by the same giggly girl the other night. She set her torn bag down and he saw the nicks in her sweater.

Mikata bumped her hard and she took off the sweater, revealing a pressed white button-down shirt.

Kurama knew she saw him when her eyes lingered on him while she scanned the row of Meiou students. Her smile vanished right as she turned her back to him. _Had a rough day, Illusion?_

Ubata commenced the lecture, occasionally giving way to his assistant.

Seeing the Illusion exist as he did in the human world put her into perspective. His intrusion into her space didn't sting as much as her appearing in his kitchen, judging by how at peace she seemed, chatting about what was said to be her favorite subject. Still, he couldn't forgive her nerve to show up at his home and beguile his mother.

Professor Ubata began with a powerpoint, introducing their research. There was an interlude with Tamuro. Then Tsubaki closed with her presentation on T-university's psychology research. They opened for a round of questions.

Osamu, a second-year student like Kurama, raised his hand.

"I find what Professor Ubata said interesting and I am astounded by the great leaps from T-university. That said, I found Yabu's summary of the paper _Applied Psychology_ a bit…lacking. I think she misunderstood the purpose of the paper. My take is different," he said.

"Funny you say that Osamu-kun..." said Mikata but she was cut off by Tsubaki.

"No, it's OK," she smiled at her friend and turned back to the Meiou boy. "Please, go ahead."

"I guess I'm thinking of another piece in another academic journal called _Mapping the Mind._ I highly recommend it since psychology is Yabu-chan's area of interest. The fellows at T-uni, again, did an amazing job on the piece. Would you like me to explain it briefly?"

"Stop. It. Osamu." Inada grunted through gritted teeth, unheard by everyone in the hall except Kurama's sensitive ears.

"I don't need a summary, but I graciously await your point," she said.

Mikata coughed, holding back a choking sound.

"My point is I think _Mapping_ is better a place to start when talking about research designs. Different conclusions, yes, but I really I recommend reading it before delving into _Applied Psychology_. _Applied_ is much easier to discuss after reading _Mapping_."

Her eyebrow ticked in her otherwise calm face. "The conclusion in that paper and this one do not conflict. They derive from the same research."

Osamu shrugged his hands into his pockets. "I disagree that they don't conflict. Moving on, I really enjoyed Tamuro's findings in _Mapping_ —"

"Actually, Osamu-kun," Tamuro said. "I only peer-reviewed the paper—"

"My mistake," said Osamu, a little antsy with nerves with dozens of eyes boring into him. "I can't remember the author for _Applied_ but I wish they had used _Mapping_ research."

"So your point is that you agree with me and disagree with me," she said.

Osamu's lax stance stiffened and his pale face colored from the rush of the debate. "I don't follow."

Sano placed himself between the two teenagers, his face wrinkling. "I think what Osamu-kun is trying to say is that he looks forward to discussing more papers in the future."

"Alright then. Thank you, Osamu-san," she said and Sano exhaled with relief.

"You're welcome Yabu-chan," said Osamu. "If you reread the papers, I think you'll see my point."

Mikata's jaw clicked from being clenched too tight for too long. Esumi shut her eyes as if to brace for impact. Tsubaki whirled around, her long hair whipping at her shoulders, and Kurama recognized the way her eyes darkened.

"About that." Her tone now sharpened like a knife. "Next time you come here, do not waste my time saying that I misunderstand articles that _I_ wrote."

His cheeks were patchy with red as he tried to find his footing in the conversation. "Wait, papers that you wrote?"

"That's right. Both papers—"

"Go ahead and return to your seat Osamu-kun." Sano led him to his chair, a saving grace the student took enthusiastically.

The session continued and not once did Tsubaki acknowledge Kurama's presence. When the lecture dismissed, she turned to collect her things. He noticed she hadn't combed his thoughts and that her demeanor was still snippy from her collision with Osamu.

Osamu fixed his eyes on her, clearly chewing over the perfect string of words to apologize. Maybe they could laugh his misdeed off and hopefully repair the potential for an amicable partnership.

 _Sorry Osamu, she's busy today._

As the boy stretched, trying to act casual while getting out of his desk, Kurama slipped by him on the stairs, cinching the moment.

"Tsubaki," He awaited her mind's touch yet it never came. She faced him with an insincere smile that answered his earlier question. She must have had a rough day. "I have many questions about the paper discussed today. If you don't mind sparing me some of your time..." he said.

Sano grinned at Minamino, ready to join and merrily partake after the earlier disaster.

 _Use of first names, don't think I don't know what you're trying to do._ Her words projected in his mind, bringing nuance to her overly sweet response.

"Of course, Shuichi-kun I wouldn't mind talking about it," said Tsubaki and the two girls next to her nearly dropped their books at the exchange. She stepped closer to Kurama. Elderberry, honey, and sandalwood hit him like perfume, distinct and deliberate.

"We can discuss it as I walk you home," he said.

Sano dug in heels into the ground, rooting himself a wide distance away from the two teenagers, the change of context clear in his eyes.

"I would like that," she said.

Mikata next to her blinked fast and she pushed her glasses up her nose bridge. Esumi had the same gutted expression as Eda. Osamu looked to Kurama with the stunned face of someone who was just clubbed in the head.

She bent to reach for her second bag when Shuichi offered. "I can carry that since your arm is hurting."

He saw the calculating pause on her face before she fixed her smile. She politely thanked him.

Shuichi led her out before shutting the door behind him, sending the message to others, if the exchange of first names wasn't enough, that it wasn't an open invitation.

* * *

"Use of first names?" she prodded once they were out of earshot of everyone else.

"Just a clever ploy," he said, parroting her earlier words to him as they strolled towards Main Street. "I apologize for my classmate's transgressions."

She had taken great pleasure in humiliating Osamu. Instead of correcting his mistake, like a spider luring its prey with beautiful threads, she trapped Osamu into a false sense of friendly rapport. By the time Osamu realized he had been fooled, the cocoon had already meshed.

In his kitchen, he had personified her as a fly for his plants to devour. Yet had she been trying, had she been filled with even half of the malicious intent she had ensnared on Osamu, that metaphor would have been a costly mistake. Her namesake again was too appropriate for the Illusion. She was a hungry spider posing as a fruitless flower.

"I'm one of five authors of those articles. Names are hard for humans to remember. I'm used to it now." Her arms swung at her side, restless without her second bag. "Really. You don't have to do that. I can carry it myself."

He adjusted the bag over his shoulder, the one where the long strap had been cleanly sliced. "It's no bother to me. You didn't get that injury yesterday and you didn't get it from Hiei," he said.

Another pause from her but this time she didn't care to put up another smiley facade. "How did you know about Hiei? Did you talk to him?"

"Not since yesterday," he said.

"Then how did you know?" she said.

"You just told me," he said.

Her brows rose, conceding one point to him.

"Your sweater and the cuts on the shoulder. I know Hiei's style. The elbow is not his work," he said.

She cradled her elbow. "Not Hiei. This injury is from that devil, Gunah."

"I don't remember seeing him land a hit," he said.

"He doesn't need to actually hit me. I take it that he hasn't shown you his toys yet," she said.

"I'm afraid not," he said.

Tsubaki rolled up the sleeves of her shirt, feeling warm from the walk even as night began to fall.

"I half expected the _real_ Tsubaki Yabu to not recognize me," he said.

She twirled a green lock of hair between her fingers. "This is not some costume nor am I possessing her. I _am_ the real Tsubaki Yabu. Look at me as I am. What you see is what you get."

They approached a cement bridge over a duck pond. She strolled across, but the bridge swayed under Kurama's feet at his first step. He leaped back as the bridge, one he crossed daily, twisted like a screw. Pedestrians meandered behind him, oblivious, without sight of the warped bridge. Tsubaki walked on, unless his eyes were wrong, upside down like a bat. Her hair, bag, skirt remained 'upright' as if he were the skewed one.

She eyed her reflection in the pond and poked one finger into the body of water above her head. The water rippled at her gentle touch. "Come on, don't get lost."

His instincts barked not to, but Kurama fixed his eyes on her for reference and crossed the twisted bridge. Every instinct, every whim, and urge of his being screamed in protest but one step at a time, he crossed.

Once he reached her, once he believed he had the hang of it, the pull of gravity swayed, threatening to flip again. Tsubaki snickered and she held out an open hand. "Give me your wrist."

He peered down at her open hand before taking in the full skewed sight of the twisted bridge, and the pond hovering over their heads.

"I promise I won't bite." She winked. "Really, I'm not joking this time. I just want to get home faster."

Admittedly more curious than worried, he extended his hand. Her three scents hit him again when her warm palm touched his. She reached above her head into the water.

He saw her right arm begin to sink easily through the water but then bump at her elbow, like a square peg that wouldn't fit through a round hole. That was unexpected, according to the narrowed, worried look in her eyes. She forced her arm with a noise of pain through the tight pinch. After her elbow, the rest of her and Kurama melted through.

* * *

"So this is the spot you saw her?" Yusuke surveyed the snowy landscape, standing tall for a solid moment before breaking into a fit of shivers. "Brrr! Why didn't I bring a coat when I knew we were coming here?"

Kuwabara's eyes watered from the wind and his eyelashes actually froze shut together. "Yep, it's definitely colder now than before."

Not even three hundred meters away, Yusuke had undone his top buttons from feeling stuffy in the heat. It had taken Kuwabara two tries but he convinced Yusuke that he really had seen what he saw.

"Eikichi saw her too."

"Well, that settles it. He is more reliable."

"Shut up!"

"Tell me, did you even throw one punch?"

"I had Eikichi and you know my code. I don't fight girls."

It was a little on the paranoid side but Yusuke thought that perhaps Anahtar knew that about him and picked a dainty form as a shield.

Yusuke pictured the prim, preppy school girls. "Really? An Aoshoujo? Are you sure it was Anahtar you saw?"

"I'm positive. It's hard to explain, but I had a deep feeling of deja vu. My head still feels mangled," said Kuwabara, his face paled, the memory alone made him queasy.

 _Yeah, mangled sounds about right._ "You said she shared some memories with you." Yusuke leaned in and cleared his throat. "How do I know she didn't implant a parasite that wanted to lure me here and is going attack me when my back is turned?"

"If as THAT makes any sense!" Kuwabara matched his tight expression and pointed to his nose. "You dare accuse me, punk?!"

Fog darkened around them and the street Yusuke and Kuwabara had emerged from slowly disappeared from view. The other, warmer side was now a world away.

"Um, it didn't do this last time," said Kuwabara, wrapped his arms around himself against the relentless shivers. "Is it just me or is there less air in here?"

Yusuke took a deep breath. The air _was_ harder to breathe, in fact, the weight had doubled in his lungs. _Could that mean she or it is nearby, pulling the strings, watching us?_ "Tell me again, you think she's hiding up there?" He pointed to the cloud, now blending into the fog.

"That's my best guess. That's how I found her earlier," said Kuwabara.

"And exactly how did you find her in the first place?" asked Yusuke.

Kuwabara curled a fist in Yusuke's face. "Cut the suspicious crap already! I didn't find her. She wanted to be found."

A noise like a thunderclap above them made their already cold bodies stiff and frigid.

"It stopped. It's never done that," Kuwabara squealed.

Bitter air fumed like steam from a machine. Yusuke covered his face, fearing frostbite.

A blue, scaly abomination the boys had never seen before in their years of fighting demons appeared through the smoky cloud. With a barrel torso, it heaved gusts of frost in its beak and its cranium had rows and rows of dragon horns.

Kuwabara's teeth chattered so hard Yusuke swore they would crack.

Yusuke's muscles tensed, sizing up the monster who had two yellow reptile eyes fixed on them in malicious delight. Seeing that escape wasn't an option, his hands balled into fists. "I think I found out where the small mouths and large bellies metaphor comes from."

* * *

Btw Osamu calling her Yabu-chan is meant to be so rude since he only just met her. Hope you enjoyed it and please let me know what you think so far if you have a moment.


	7. The Hum of Silence

As always, whatever feedback you have I will accept graciously. Thank you for the favs, follows and reviews. Thank you, Yileen, for your continued support. Your reviews always bring a smile to my face :) Funny you mention pairings...I can't say much about that at the moment other than pairings are planned and will happen in due time.

Tsubaki has to lose a bit in this one, but her opponents are the YYH four after all and frankly, she has peeved a lot of people so far. Especially Kurama who hasn't forgiven her trespass in his mother's home.

This story is so different from my other work in progress and I'm learning a lot. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

* * *

Darkness enveloped Kurama. The energy that reminded him of the freakcloud swam around them and bewildered his acute senses. Unlike demon or spirit energy, he couldn't focus on the porous flows. It was like being asked to articulate a color he had never seen before or trying to grasp a handful of sand.

 _Last I remember, we were sinking into the pond, but this isn_ _'t water._ There was no light and no sound, but somehow he could see his own self and hear his own heavy breathing. _Am I only imagining it?_

He heard soft humming and at first, he thought it was the darkness drumming but it was Tsubaki.

No heat, no chill, and the air was slightly too soft and thin. Each desperate breath left him trying to suck more in. Now dizzy and without sight, all he could do was follow the beat of her voice and her gentle tug. He lost her hand but he quickly caught her upper arm. She peered back.

 _Did she notice?_

"Don't get lost," she said.

A bright light called to them. They tore against the warm curtain of natural light.

She pried herself away and he stumbled. He landed on something hard and he touched the cedar floor. The air was easy to breathe and his eyes could finally focus. A house.

Tsubaki's footsteps pounded against the floor as she circled around, setting her bags aside, mumbling about hiding her second ruined sweater. She snapped her fingers and pointed to the foyer. "Shoes go there when you finally get up."

 _Did she notice? I may not have any way of knowing._

"Why are you so tense, Kurama?" she asked. Elderberry, honey, and sandalwood hit him when she leaned in, her dark eyes ready to bore into him. But the mental trespass never came. "If I wanted you dead, I would have done it in the alley. Or if I wanted to be cruel I would have left you in the mirror to slowly suffocate."

 _But you have many other tricks up your sleeve._ "Where were we?" he asked.

"Oh?" she said. "Just that was bothering you? Why didn't you say so?"

She always seemed to brighten on the subject of her kind. Not with simple joy but with mischievous delight. Illusions were shrouded in mystery, but Tsubaki (or Anahtar) was special. She had to be. You didn't get metaphors like 'small mouths' or exist as myth without supreme pillars of secrecy and silence. And she beamed as she broke them. How deep was her grudge with the other Illusions?

"How? _Under bridges, when silence hums, in the glare of mirrors?_ _"_ She swayed as she hummed but then her lips pouted. _"_ Meh, it just doesn't have same lyrical beauty in your language. What's an easy way to put it so a demon can understand?"

She pointed to their reflection in the mirror and her arm sank into it as easy and porous as water. The mirror _rippled_ when she stroked the surface.

 _These Illusions love their demonstrations._

Sunlight dappled in the living area where they sat. Well furnished and decorated with frames, two large mirrors (one facing each of them he noticed) certificates, and a large bookcase, Kurama noticed something was missing.

"Completely devoid of plant life. Not even fake flowers. I don't want to deal with your death plants again," she said.

 _There_ _'s one growing under your skin at the moment._

"So you picked this room for that reason," he said.

"You are still _so_ tense," she said, throwing her curtain of hair over her shoulder. Kurama again awaited her curiosity to invade his mind, yet, as she twirled a lock of hair around her finger, it never came. "Should I get you anything?"

He shook his head. "Did you encounter both Hiei and Kuvvet today?"

"Hiei, but no Gunah," she said. "You can thank Hiei for that torn bag you carried. Why you ask?"

"I recognized the cut of his blade in the strap. But your elbow," he said and he could see the tension building in her, again, on the subject. Were those actual nerves? "It's causing you trouble."

Her smile faded but didn't quite break into a frown as she restrained it. "It's nothing at the moment."

"You said Illusions dislike lies."

Her touch brushed against his mind but delved no further than the very edge. He could confirm it. _She_ _'s restraining herself on purpose, but why?_

"You should be happy," she said, rubbing the cursed elbow. "Think of it as an equalizer. Gunah has made things much harder for me. The plot thickens, but I'm not worried."

There was a soft clicking noise against the floor and the scent of something not human. The death plant under her skin from the Shimaneki seed was only still spreading through her torso from her left arm.

"You know… I have never taken anyone through before. How did that feel to you?" she asked. "What did you see in there?"

"Was I supposed to see something?"

Her hands covered her mouth. "You saw nothing? You demons can't even see that much? I thought you were at least a little better than humans. How unfortunate."

 _Does she speak so condescendingly to humans or just demons? For a being so who can 'see' so well, she lacks the ability to see herself._

He saw a picture of Tsubaki in her school uniform, next to a tawny haired woman. Academic awards and science ribbons hung frame to frame and covered the entire space of the hallway leading to the stairs. "Is there a reason why you're making yourself so easy to find after all of the mystery with your identity?"

"I am trying to be straight forward. I am showing you my human side so you and spirit world know the boundaries."

"Has anyone ever told you the one being pursued doesn't get to make the rules?"

The question didn't faze her but hardly anything did it seemed. She must have been very old like him.

"By the way, you probably won't want to answer this. All the same, I'm dying to know."

 _Finally. Was this the purpose of her bringing me here?_

"Why does your mother have such _amazing_ Goz?" She blurted out, evident to him that she had been chewing on the question for a long time. "It's like she's a god. Even Nazar didn't glow that bright. When I first met her I was immediately enthralled by your mother's Goz."

There was plenty in her rush of words that he hadn't understood, names and terms. Her excitement had taken him off guard. "What is Goz?"

She blinked, her excitement derailed by the question that must have been so simple to her. "Goz literally means eye, but it's many things to us: the mind, the mind's eye, the act of seeing and knowing, luck in all its forms, _everything_ in an abstract way. In a way you demon would understand, Jagan is to false eye as Goz is to my real eye."

Mind's eye. You demon. Kurama pictured Hiei's third eye. The feeling of his versus hers differed vastly, Hiei's piercing, a dominating presence wasn't easily ignored whereas Tsubaki's slithered with natural ease, something he'd peg as a headache if he didn't know better.

"Jagan is very, very different, though," she said. "Not even half the sight and subtlety as my Goz."

 _Condescending._ "You really dislike Jaganshi and all demons, don't you?"

Her cheeks reddened and she slightly grimaced. "I don't dislike demons. I pity them. Jaganshi are false. They want sight but then abuse it. They don't deserve my pity."

"Does Hiei not deserve your respect after he spared your life?"

"You said you hadn't spoken to him earlier," she said.

"I haven't. If Hiei were really set on killing you, we wouldn't be here now," he said. "I really want to know why you would express contempt after a Jaganshi spared you. You have seen the person he would sacrifice all for, I know you have seen that for all of us. Is this all Illusions or just your personal prejudice?"

She shut her eyes for a moment and he believed she reflected on her encounter with Hiei. She changed the subject.

"Shall we address the elephant in the room?" She rolled up her sleeve. "How long until you were going to tell me about this?" She pinched to the green bump latched onto the muscle in her upper arm.

The seed he had pressed into her skin after he had tumbled forward and grabbed her upper arm for support.

He didn't move, but he matched her strong gaze.

"You weren't going to let the another opportunity slip by again?" she said. "I only noticed when it was growing. It tickled."

"It is done growing so I suggest you be honest with me. Unless underestimate what that seed can do." One dumb move and the house devoid of plant life would have a complex bundle of flowers the size of the sofa she sat on.

All humor was gone now only calculation in her serious but calm face. "I already told you. Illusions don't like to lie."

"What is your motivation in this?"

"My only stake in this is to myself," she said.

"The freakcloud was made by an Illusion if I am correct?"

"The really tall one already asked me that."

"When did you see Kuwabara?" he asked.

"Today."

A painful jolt in her right side, drilling from her thighs to her shoulder. "I didn't deserve that."

"You withheld information. You didn't mention Kuwabara when you said you saw Hiei."

Her eyes darkened. "You didn't ask me about Kuwabara. You said Hiei and Gunah. You four should communicate with each other because it is really annoying to repeat myself."

The clock ticked away. Everything was in his favor yet his instincts urged him to hasten. _I have the advantage and the plant need only my order to bloom. Yet I can_ _'t help but feel time isn't on my side—is that why she is calm? Are Illusions even capable of showing their nerves?_

"When did you first possess Tsubaki Yabu?"

She raised her green eyebrows but otherwise remained perfectly still. Perhaps she feared she would agitate the plant if she risked big movements. However, his plant sensed offense not fear in her. "Can I ask why you think that or am I not allowed to ask anything?"

"Your academic record. Yabu was recorded as a good, average student in primary and junior high level. In the second year of junior high, the script completely changed. Perfect marks or near perfect. Honors recognition. You changed your career path and high school plans from the local high school to elite private schools. Top of your class ever since and you waltzed into Aojo and have been mentored by renowned Ubata and prodigious Tamuro from T-uni."

"Not a bad guess, but wrong. Something else happened at that time, but that is irrelevant here and now. I already answered this question, remember? I said I have a mother the same way you do."

"So you were born?" He said more of as a statement than a question.

"Sixteen years ago." He must have projected his doubt because she spoke again. "Think about it for a second: why in the world would I willingly choose to possess a teenager and not someone older?"

"If you can possess couldn't you also head-hop?"

"Did Gunah ever head-hop in front of you in the alley or did I miss that?"

Kurama shook his head and his plant actually felt her withhold a sneer.

"You're smarter than you look. But it's another wrong guess. _I_ can't head hop, but the other Illusions can. Again, this is a joint endeavor, not a possession." She paused, noticing she had begun speaking with her hands and gracefully set them in her lap.

"Again, the plant won't harm you unless I tell it. Feel free to move."

"You still don't believe me?"

He decided to change the subject and she pressed her back into the couch.

"Why the human world? Why come here?" he asked.

"I did not choose to come here, unlike you," she said.

"Explain it."

"Too loaded. I can't do that. I told you that you need to ask the right questions," she said.

The plant, with a powerful affirmation of its presence in her body, jolted painfully in her waist. He had endured the Shimaneki seed in his own body once and could imagine how painful it was to her. She pressed her palm against her chest and a strange aura tried to repress the plant. More energy he couldn't pinpoint. As if his gauge had (set divided between human and demon) extended beyond what he ever fathomed.

"I wouldn't test it, Illusion," he said. "I told you to just answer the questions."

"I answered. You didn't like the answer. Has anyone ever survived one of your implanted demon seedlings before?"

She combed his mind and another crack of the plant zapped her out. He powered up his mental defenses, but she might have already gotten what she needed.

"I have a question," he said.

"You never answered mine," she said.

"That cloud. What is happening with it?"

"It is maturing. Soon it will be a spirit, like an Illusion. I saw it earlier. It looked ready, but maybe it's just waiting."

"Waiting for what?" he asked.

She risked a shrug. "Maybe it waits for something exciting to come along."

* * *

Low in the atmosphere, the animated frosty storm reacted to their presence in the foggy confines. Like dough, it had suddenly stretched and kneaded before shaping into a monster. Two reptile eyes narrowed on Yusuke and Kuwabara.

"Two of whom I've been waiting to meet," said a double voice the boys recognized as a crude blend of their own.

With each chomp of his beak, he hungered to rip into their flesh.

Neither boy could speak. Time had slowed to a crawl as they took in the details of the monster, unlike anything they had ever seen.

Ready to close the distance, the cloud dissipated and the monster landed with an impressive smash on the thick concrete. Faults in the concrete drew thick under their feet. Putting up a brave face, Kuwabara couldn't help but flinch when the ground shook, his shivering knees already struggled to hold him. "Don't...you have the Psychic Spyglass? Maybe this isn't it's true form.

"I don't think the Spyglass is gonna help. Now, I've seen some pretty butt-ugly demons, but this one takes the cake," said Yusuke.

"It's a _thing_ from nightmares," said Kuwabara. "I can hardly stand to look at it." Yusuke caught Kuwabara by the arm who almost tumbled into the snow. " _I_ _have_ to get out of this cold. I'm shivering so bad I can't even think."

The monster licked its beak. "Do you forget that fog that encloses this space? A warning: if you try and escape, it will instantly freeze you to death. No one gets in and no one gets out."

"I _don_ _'_ like da sound o' tha—" Kuwabara couldn't even finish his thought between pressing more weight onto Yusuke.

Yusuke held him while his bones froze in the subzero temperatures.

 _Coming here earlier must have zapped a lot of energy out of him._ "We'll fight our way outta here."

The frost monster conjured four long blades of ice, one for each of its knobby fingers. The four glimmered with energy and a cold sweat ran down Yusuke's face.

 _I just don_ _'t know how yet._

* * *

Tsubaki had believed she had been lucky when Hiei had let her survive. Rather, it had been a hiccup in her string of misfortune that day. First Güzel, then Hiei, and then Kurama had to show up. Now she had an actual _plant_ living and breathing inside.

Her finger curled under the clear bracelet on her wrist. One snap and she'd be free of the plant, but did she dare use it for just that? She only had one and she knew she'd have to use it against Gunah. Yet if Kurama bloomed the plant, it would all be worthless—

 _Something is coming._

Another second passed, she sat straight and alert and turned to the door.

"What's there?" asked Kurama and the plant tensed under her skin as if he laid his hand on a figurative button that would tell it to bloom.

She sighed in relief and sank back into the couch. "Finally, and not a moment to spare."

Before Kurama could ask again, a car engine vroomed to a halt in the driveway. A door slam and the jingle of house keys.

A woman with tawny brown hair pinned up in an elegant style dressed in a green tunic kicked off her shoes. She lugged half a dozen of grocery bags, a briefcase, and a small ceramic pot.

"Oh good, Tsubaki you're here. Come here and help me—" She stopped abruptly at the sight of the pair in her living room. Her dark eyes twinkled behind her glasses. She tossed the groceries on the coffee table to free her hands.

"Hello, I'm Tsubaki's mother." She glanced between them and the air buzzed with the doctor's calculating thoughts. _Who is he? Why didn_ _'t she tell me she was bringing someone over? That's right, I didn't tell her I was coming home early. So did I interrupt something? Is that Tsubaki's taste? He's pretty handsome._

Oh, how Tsubaki missed Illusions and their subtlety. Humans believed their heads were private sanctuaries and there was such disconnect between their mental selves and their external selves. Like night and day at times. Like her classmate and Aojo's science society's second in command, Mirei Esumi.

Kurama stood and smiled to greet her mother. No traces of the cruel demon who was one breathy command away from ordering his plant to bloom and end her life. "Shuichi Minamino. Tsubaki was kind enough to explain one of her papers to me after the lecture."

 _Stop. Don't give her more._ Tsubaki twitched at her mother's thrill, radiating over and over with growing intensity in the same manner as Kurama's mother.

Her mother slid the kitchen door open while asking about the lecture. Kurama heard the soft click against the floor, something was moving…

"Tsubaki, can you move that fat-ass out of the way?"

Kurama sidestepped her mother and watched Tsubaki walk into the shadows and return with, cradled in her arms, a chubby gray cat.

Disgruntled teal eyes narrowed on Kurama as if were it not for the fuss over a stranger, he would be free to lounge in their kitchen.

"Sorry Bubbles, out of the kitchen." With an affectionate squeeze, Tsubaki escorted the rotund cat, who meowed in protest, into the living room.

Once she set him down on the rug, the banished Russian Blue scampered up the stairs. "Fine, go pout in my room. Keep my chair warm."

Quite agile for a creature whose belly drags on the floor, Kurama projected as he watched Bubbles hop each stair with surprising athleticism.

Tsubaki shushed Kurama as if he spoke his words aloud. "Be nice. He's grouchy because mother put him on a diet."

Her mother returned again with the pot. Kurama saw a sticky note on the side that read: _Save me._

A plant with long leaves and spiderettes dangled down as she adjusted the position of the pot in the long stream of orange light.

"They gave you a plant?" Tsubaki leaned against the wall. _Well, I_ _'ll be damned. Now there are two plants living in this house._

"Xie-san orphaned it of spite for Hiroyuki-san who kept asking about it and making fun of him…you don't want to hear the whole story. Anyway, I found this on my desk and figured why not. We could use some green in here."

"How kind of you to take in an orphaned plant," said Kurama and Tsubaki wished she had left him trapped behind the mirror. He stuck his finger into the soil. "Xie-san was over-watering. The soil is too soggy. Spider plants prefer to dry out a bit between waterings. Wait a few days before giving it more."

Her mother looked over to Tsubaki who shrugged.

She adjusted her glasses, a gesture Tsubaki knew that meant she was impressed. "Oh you must be good with botany," said her mother.

"You have _no_ idea," said Tsubaki, her mind's eye seeing the long root in her arm.

* * *

He thought of the way Tsubaki had arrived at his home and engaged with his mother. Even as a stranger she entangled with the surroundings and made herself completely at home. Meanwhile, Kurama assisted with her mother's groceries but wanted to dislodge himself as soon as possible.

He declined offers for food and refreshment from her mother. "I appreciate it, but I best be going."

Tsubaki followed him outside.

"I see why you brought me here," he said.

"What will be done with this?" She rubbed the bump under her skin.

"It stays."

He expected the mental fog when she combed his thoughts, probably checking to see if he joked.

Her mouth fell agape when she detected no humor. The first time he ever saw real fear in the Illusion. "Excuse me?"

"If it lays dormant, it won't harm you at all unless it receives a command from me. Keep in mind I don't have to be in the vicinity—"

For an Illusion of all things, the words, verbal and mental, didn't seem to reach her. " _Excuse_ me? Why?" Another _twitch_ came, this time in her right hip, from the plant that flowed through her like blood vessels from her neck to her feet.

He shrugged his hands into his pockets. "I have no wish to kill you. Kuvvet only wants to arrest you, and I'll oblige him, but if you ever so much as set foot in my mother's house again—"

"You won't hesitate," she finished after she heard it whole in his head. He projected a full image of how the plant would bloom and its epic beauty. And _she_ would be the soil. Her dark eyes narrowed on his green pair. He knew he ought to appreciate the advantage until she thought of something vile to even the score. He'd deserve it; he knew how much the plant could hurt its host. "How good of control do you have over this thing? It's not going to jump the gun if you sneeze or something, right?"

He covered his mouth with his hand. "Even now you make jokes."

* * *

 _He cheated me. After all that I still didn_ _'t get the answer, but I_ _'ll concede him another point_.

Finding Kurama's home had been a pleasure for Tsubaki. His home glowed among the others, a beckon of divinity among ordinary like a church on top of a hill. Undeniable, something supernatural had blessed the dwelling.

Much to Tsubaki's surprise when it had been Shiori Minamino, not the demon's presence, who had been the star-being of divine Goz. Pure and bright as a halo, Tsubaki had been later grateful for Kurama's late arrival if only to give her a generous moment to cope and bask in its purity.

She had counted the mirrors during her unofficial tour of the home and gushed at all of the varied shapes and sizes and crystal clear glass. The woman and her marvelous Goz flowed through the reflective surfaces in a harmonious current.

Her favorite had been the long oval in the kitchen, encased in a reflective chrome finish, facing the center table and the long garden windows. Had Kurama forgotten about the snitch-mirror when he awakened his carnivorous plants to sprout or had he wanted Tsubaki to enjoy the view?

Too bad, she had groused after the final drop of tea touched her tongue, that her relations with Kurama had been destined to be unfavorable yet she fancied his home so much. That soon became one of Tsubaki's stubborn questions, one she carried when she lacked the time to ask in his kitchen.

What had he done? What had she done to be blessed with such amazing Goz?

After he was gone, she flexed and stretched, a body and vitals check. She really only noticed when the plant had grown all the way to her anchored elbow. In an ironic way, Gunah's curse had saved her life. It hadn't hurt, not since it first erupted, but as she realized when she returned home with Kurama, her power of transport was becoming limited. She had managed to wiggle through but…

She tested her arm when the door of her mother's office shut. She'd be in there for hours. Bubbles had sneaked back downstairs and laid in the stream of light beside the Spider plant.

More sunlight dappled on the floor—

 _Wait a minute. Something is off. Why can_ _'t I see it from here?_

From the second floor nook, she could see in the distance the cloud's thick puff had expanded into some sort of ashy dome.

 _He_ _'s even more stubborn than I thought. I didn't think he'd go back again._ She touched her elbow. At the corridor mirror, her lower arm slid like a knife through warm butter, only to stop with a severe burn at her elbow. Again, it was as if she tried to shove a square block through a circle hole. To her horror, it was noticeably harder than before to ripple through the surface. _Even if she ran until her lungs were on fire, she wouldn_ _'t make it in time._

* * *

The Ice Illusion shot ice blades at the boys. Yusuke pushed Kuwabara out of the way, knowing he'd only manage to dodge 3 out of 4. The fateful one struck his torso and he shut his eyes as he waited for the excruciating pain.

It never came.

He peeked open his eyes. The fourth blade faded into an afterimage when it hit his torso.

"They're fake! They're just illusions," he cried.

"You've lost your mind, Urameshi!" Kuwabara rolled on the concrete avoiding the second onslaught of _real-as-all-hell_ blades that _crunched_ into the concrete.

He threw his hands over his face at the third onslaught of phantom ice blades. His heart jumped wildly at the impact of an afterimage brushing like air against his arms but no blood. "Yeah! They _are_ fake! You're not going to fool me with that trick again!" His feet slid on the puddle from melting snow as he tried to stand and brave the barrage of glacial weapons.

More ice blades glimmered, charged by energy, as they cut through the air.

He yelped when his side slammed down on the concrete. He grasped his side with panic against the weight on top on him, but there was no blade poking out, no blood.

A shrill cry.

* * *

A blade clipped her shoulder, but Tsubaki cried most from her elbow. "Don't make me do that again," she said to Kuwabara beneath her.

Hopping out of the puddle had thrashed her elbow when she ripped her arm through. Normally she'd flow through like water but her injured elbow caught and yanked so hard she wondered if it would still be attached on the other side.

"It's you!" said Kuwabara, crawling away from her like he had curled up against a poisonous bush.

The monster had watched her jump out of the puddle, in the way an Illusion would. Its nostrils flared, taking in her conflicted scent. "You are not Illusion. You are not human."

She touched the clear bracelet on her wrist, _no, still too early._ She stood and peered over to Yusuke who gritted his teeth to restrain the shivers. She heard him, grimace, _the last thing I need! Another one of them._

"Yusuke," she said. "If you wanna survive this do _everything_ I say."

Without thinking, Yusuke backed away. The edge of the fog ever so slightly rubbed against his uniform; the fabric on his shoulders, all the way down his back froze into hard ice. Even with nothing else to protect him, he threw off the layer and it cracked like glass into pieces. With just his undershirt, Yusuke still stood tall in the arctic fog, knowing they only had a few precious minutes. "Alright, Anahtar, I'm all ears.


	8. The Dormant Witch

Thank you Yileen for your review. You're an absolute dream. You're good btw—you noticed the cats. While it's extra characterization, the cats mean something. I purposefully wrote a cat scene with Kuvvet and two with Tsubaki. Illusions are fond of cats :) Oh Bubbles, I thought: what is the dorkiest name I can think of for a cat who is shaped like a beach ball? I was thinking Maru (Japanese for circle) but Bubbles just makes me laugh. That previous chap had a lot of serious stuff going on and Bubbles wasn't in the original outline, but I'm glad I wrote him in.

I love writing contrasting scenes, especially between Kurama and Tsubaki. _I AM going to get the upper hand even if you can say one word and kill me with a demon plant_ _—by the way, be nice to my cat._

Btw, I added two short scenes to the first chapter. I felt it needed more Tsubaki so I edited it to include more of her. Nothing changed plot-wise but wanted to give a heads-up.

* * *

"I don't like that plan!" said Kuwabara, the words garbled from his jaw muscles that were frozen stiff. "Tsubaki! Er, I mean _Illusion_ —"

She narrowed her eyes at him but didn't respond.

"Koenma said you guys could do good luck so can you just sprinkle some of that?"

"That is _not_ how that works. You'll need another Illusion. Good luck is not my talent—"

"Cool it!" said Yusuke, not missing how the snot that dripped from his nose froze. He broke the icicle with a painful yank. Blood trickled down the ridge of his lip. "It's the best plan we've got. She's in a skirt and I'm in a tank top." Yusuke was happy that at least he didn't have to fight in a skirt and he wore better shoes.

"I guess I could turn up the heat," said Tsubaki as an afterthought, tying up her long hair into a ponytail.

Kuwabara could cut someone from his razor-sharp glare at Yusuke. "…we're gonna die, aren't we?"

* * *

Tsubaki shut her eyes and Yusuke's energy radar went berserk. No sooner than she began to concentrate his head cleared as if someone had vacuumed out all of the fog.

 _What_ _—wait_ _…_ The skin on his arms that had turned a deathly blue warmed back to its natural tone. _She pulled the plug on the cold machine. I feel fine. I can slightly see the street. All the snow is gone as if the freakcloud and snow were never there. Wait_ _—_

Without the actual physical gesture, Tsubaki projected a _nod_ to him. _You got it,_ she said from still lips. Her lashes caught tears of strain and he saw her grasp her head against a splitting headache.

Yusuke's torso swelled, spirit energy emanated around him, charged by his will to fight. _The snow, the fog, they were all just Illusions. None of it was ever real._

 _If I can_ _'t see this guy's energy, maybe he can't sense mine._

"Tell me something, Illusion, where do you go when you die? Spirit gun!" Yusuke fired a brilliant blue blast straight for the Ice Illusion.

Stunned by blindness the monster bathed in the brilliant light. But he sneered. Its scales glossed when he deeply inhaled and inflated for impact. The blast hit his stomach, but as if he separated himself down to the molecule, the blast pierced through him.

"What?!" cried Yusuke. One of his most powerful attacks hadn't even made a scratch.

"Do you not know what you're up against? I can shift against any blast you throw at me," said the double-voiced monster.

"Tsubaki! What the hell! Any fucking day now!"

She cringed. All of her confidence from before as depleted as the color in her face. "Something is wrong. I can't do it like before."

Yusuke groaned. "So much for the plan."

"I'm glad Spirit World sent you," said the monster, opening his talon, daggers for nails glittering at their sharpest point. "Everything is about to change soon and no one in the three worlds will forget us again once the Witch is through. Starting with the human world, then demon world and finally Spirit World."

Yusuke bit back his smart-ass remark. _The Witch?_

"Foresight is ready," Tsubaki cried, finally opening her tearful eyes.

Yusuke hadn't mastered sensing Illusion energy but hers glued together the loose particles of the frost monster. The weight of the world pressed against the Ice Illusion into a corporeal body. The now solid beast crashed onto the concrete, as visible and sensible as any human or demon.

His talons curled into his palms, what should have been air, instead slimy, scales. He adjusted to move and breathe under his new weight.

"Attack from a distance—spirit gun!"

The whitish-blue bullet broke through the air.

The Illusion focused and swallowed enough air to shake Yusuke, Tsubaki, the whole space, the whole Earth it seemed. Ice crunched as it armored him like a second skin from horns to toe-daggers.

The beam impacted his beak. The armor cracked against the blast but the projectile relented. The cracking armor couldn't withstand the energy for much longer. The monster sidestepped and the blast bounced off the smooth surface.

"What?! How?! _Illusion_ I thought you said that would work!"

Tsubaki's mouth fell agape as she panted with faintness.

The monster shattered his compromised armor with a simple flex. It licked his beak at the two. "Which do I dare feed on first?"

"Spirrrrit Swwword!" Kuwabara lurched towards the misfired spirit energy. He swung his sword, spinning twice to gain momentum before launching the blast at the Ice Illusion caught unaware.

He tried to coat himself with another skin but the blast moved too fast, revved up by the spirit sword. The Ice Illusion melted to oblivion under the intense heat and energy.

Steam wafted from the monster's shadow imprinted into the concrete; all that was left of him.

The three waited in silence, processing the moment, worried to declare it in their favor too soon.

Kuwabara's sudden but joyous laughter jolted Yusuke and Tsubaki's rapid hearts.

"And that's what I like to call the Kuwabara-Spirit-Bat!" He spun before wobbling and falling onto his bottom. "It's going, going, it's gone, folks!"

"I'll dub the last one my Spirit Knuckle-Ball," Yusuke hooted with laughter.

 _How do they have the energy to laugh? Laughter may be medicine but I can barely breathe._ "Baseball references? We nearly struck out there." Instead of figuring out if her pun was intentional, she focused on breathing in and out. Using foresight made her elbow hurt so bad her eyes watered. Worse than when it first started with Hiei. _This is fabulous. First transport, now my other Illusion powers are affected._

 _You hear me Gunah? I swear on my sight, I hope you_ _'re ravaged by Delu. May your mind wither slowly and painfully to your last sight._

"I gotta say. You were great actors. The Ice Illusion really bought that you had given up," said Kuwabara as he _sheathed_ his spirit sword. He had only reclaimed the energy but went through the whole charade for his own joy.

The fight was over. Whatever adrenaline rush that gave her strength to stand and endure pain vanished. _I don_ _'t want to show any weakness in front of them._ Despite her tough inner dialogue, she dropped to her knees with a thud and cradled her elbow that felt like it had been crushed in a meat grinder.

Soothing night and flickering street lamps greeted them once the frosty fog cleared one and for all. The heat from the day that evaporated from the concrete stung their skin after their long exposure to the cold, like jumping into a hot spring after rolling in the snow. They wouldn't trade the sensation for anything else in their moment of victory.

Passersby, oblivious to the entire fight, stopped as the scene in front of them changed.

" _The cloud, it's gone!"_

" _The fog too!"_

" _My snowman just vanished."_

Yusuke helped Kuwabara to his feet. "We better get out of here before we have to fight the crowd." They both turned to the enigma who had now in equal measures attacked and saved them. "What do we do about that? I can only carry one of you."

Kuwabara forced himself on his two feet, fighting the wobbles. "I'll be fine. I just…can't feel my toes yet." He sneezed so hard he spat on the ground.

"Are you...okay?" Tsubaki turned to Kuwabara's husky voice.

Eyes shut, hoping her arm wouldn't fall off and half wishing it _would_ if it meant less pain, she nodded. "Hmhmm."

"What was that thing? An Illusion like you?"

"Did it _look_ like me?" she said and Kuwabara squeaked like a chew toy.

"I mean— _not saying you_ _'re ugly—_ the powers I mean…"

"You're right about one thing. It was Illusion-made. Think of it…as a bug. A corrupted image of an image. They love to cause trouble." She gritted her teeth. _How is the pain getting worse?_

"The last thing it said caught my attention," said Yusuke. "The Witch. You know anything about it?"

She crookedly smiled. "I know _all_ about the Witch." More tears from pain and power strain.

Kuwabara shifted, checking over his shoulder, uneasy about having the conversation out in the open while Tsubaki was in so much pain she couldn't even stand. "Um seriously, are you sure you're okay?"

Before she could answer the pain spiked. Everything within her, even Kurama's death plant submitted to its call.

A power surge overwhelmed her and she blacked out.

* * *

"Um so like, what do we do?"

Tsubaki awakened with a start, jolting upright so fast her head spun. Her first instinct was to hit the two with mental fog and then flee into the mirror hanging on the dresser, but she remembered that she had barely spirited to the boys and nearly lost her arm. Plus her head suffered a stabbing pain. She was the Illusion so why did _her_ head suffer from mental fog?

"Sorry, this is my apartment," said Kuwabara, sporting a warm-pack taped to his cheek. "Didn't think leaving you there like roadkill would be cool."

"Especially after helping us with that...bug you called it?" said Yusuke, adjusted the blanket that slipped from his shoulder while pinching his nose with a blood-stained tissue. "I tried repairing that elbow with my energy, but it flicked right off. A real healer might do a better job."

She heard the familiar name, Yukina, ring like a bell in Kuwabara's head. Come to think of it, her arm did hurt a bit less so his efforts weren't all for naught. "Thank you for trying. Unfortunately, it's not some ordinary injury." _I hope you get ravaged by Delu, Gunah._ It hurt less but skipping through mirrors and wide reflective surfaces was out of the question.

"Your mind is crying," she said, pointing to Yusuke's nose. When the boys raised their eyebrows and she sensed their muscle tense, she held her hands in innocence. "It's just a saying we have about nosebleeds."

An awkward silence fell between the three, but Tsubaki listened to the clamor that crowded the tiny bedroom with their mental voices.

For Goz's sake, the boys were open books, projecting their indecision as if they spoke aloud. _So like what do we do now? Call Koenma?_ _Illusions get nosebleeds?_ _She's the villain who is trying to destroy human world, but she's not that scary or spooky up close. If she's responsible for the phantom bugs then why did she help destroy that one? Should I put spirit cuffs on her? Then again, if she wanted to kill us she would have done it in the alley or just let the frost monster-thingy do the messy work. I could go for a sandwich right now._

Tsubaki rubbed her head, wishing for a giant red mute button to slam _._ "Wait, who said I'm trying to destroy the human world?"

The boys peered to one another. The break of the silence for the specific question caught them off guard.

"Did you hear me say that in my head?" Kuwabara pointed to his nose that was barely visible against the bulky warm-pack.

"And I mean…isn't that your grand master plan? Use those bugs or fluctuations as Koenma called them to destabilize human world—" said Yusuke.

"Wait! Don't go around sharing what we know with the person we're trying to stop!"

Yusuke waved his hand dismissively. "She doesn't need _me_ to spoil her plan for her."

Her entire body went rigid. "If spirit world told you that, they're even more incompetent than I thought. I don't care much for the human world, but I also don't care to destroy it either."

"You know, you say one thing and do another," said Yusuke. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a monocle. He rotated the glass over his eye like a dial on a microscope.

Tsubaki felt his gaze dig deep through her at her blighted arm, at the vine and roots that coiled around her bones.

"That's interesting...What the hell happened to you?"

"Let me look! What do you see?"

When the words 'spirit cuffs' emerged from his mind again, Tsubaki threw the blanket off, underestimating her body soreness. Using more energy than she could spare, she punched them with mind fog and knocked them out cold.

The Spyglass flew from Urameshi's hand and landed at her feet. She picked up the artifact, recognizing it. She dropped it onto his belly. _Hang on to that, will you?_

* * *

They awakened to Shizuru tapping them with her foot. They stirred groggily, their minds hungover.

"That's good news. At least you're both alive."

Yusuke tried not to move so the world would stop spinning. Something fell down his shirt and he closed his hand around the Spyglass, not sure of when he had retrieved after it flew out of his hand. "Worst part is that I _saw_ the energy in her palm right before she— _ow my freakin' head._ "

"Sis, why are there five of you?"

"I thought something was up when you mentioned you were 'holding someone captive'. Anyway, she walked out the door five minutes ago."

" _Walked out?_ You didn't try to stop her?!"

"Why would I do that? I don't do your dirty work. That's right, the reason why I came in here. I wanted to ask what was she? She had _really_ strange energy, but she's not a demon, I can tell. So…are you ever gonna get up? At least wipe off the drool."

"Hmpf. Thanks for the concern, sis."

* * *

Koenma had been correct about one thing: the Illusion world existed on the periphery of the human world and demon world.

Kuvvet found her far from the ambiance and surreal wonder where the other Illusions gathered. His mentor, what was left of her gloriousness, found a way to see his face and speak with him from her prison.

The bright chaotic world he called home darkened as he traveled through its depths. He hummed quietly, the song becoming a map over his mind's eye. _When your reflection disappears below your feet, you_ _'ll see her._

The end of his song. He peered down. He saw himself but only darkness in what should have been his reflection. A sucking of air of someone inhaling deeply to speak after being silent for eons. He lifted his chin, feeling the weight of her distant gaze long before he saw large jaundiced eyes.

"Do you bring me good news?" she said, her ghoulish voice radiating through every speck of his being.

"Everything is…as it should be."

"You have gone to Spirit world..."

"It was the second thing I did," he said, peering down after just holding her gaze for a long, trying moment.

"The first?"

He reached into his robes, normally a vibrant blue, were shadowy so far from light. Her large blue lips smiled upon seeing the doll, warped from abuse.

Through the compromised fracture in her cell, where they conversed, she had been able to send him the doll. It had been her impeccable craftsmanship. She had made the doll to abuse, in Anahtar's image, to test him and see if he could do harm to her. That's why he had held it for a whole night. However the many sins she had committed, how much _he_ had been wronged by her, he had hesitated before causing her any pain.

"If everything is as it should, why the long face?"

"I thought you could help, help _me_ that is."

Her long wavy hair, that had been cornflower blue in her early days, flowed over her face. "Has the doll not be conducive or do you squander it like every other blessing I have ever bestowed upon you?"

Kuvvet rushed, quick to appease her. "I have already used the doll and…it works perfectly—"

"Then use it. Again and again." Her eyes bulged and they darkened with malicious delight. "Tell me. Which part of her fragile human body did you break?"

"Her arm."

Kuvvet stepped back at the wind gusts from her disappointed sigh, all her pride dying within her. "Is that _all_? You wait so long for it to awaken and _that is all?_ You are still so fragile."

"It is a precursor. She is anchored and can't travel without incredible pain."

She seemed to buy that explanation as her breathing calmed. "Still full of arrogance. Arrogance she poured into you because she overflowed with it."

Deep within him, far below where she'd see, _you know that is from Kara_. _She isn_ _'t to blame._

"You shouldn't need more from me, _why_ are you babbling here when you could be there?"

"Please, the problem is that she cannot come _here_ as a human _._ Spirit World will not allow that."

She listened to Kuvvet with a side glance, her long hair she had trouble restraining in her braces fell over her face again. "Wasn't the point of recruiting Spirit World was to avoid doing the heavy work yourself?"

"They haven't arrested her."

"Urge them."

"Let me clarify, they _won_ _'t_ arrest her."

Shadows of teeth waved like wind billowing under dark velvet between two blue lips. "As pompous and double-crossing as ever. No matter about Spirit World. They never relent in their ambitions, therefore they are predictable." She sighed and regret pierced the air. "I never fathomed what lay dormant within me and what could come alive at the single whisper of her wretched name. Not a day goes by that I don't mourn. Gone all because of her and her selfishness."

Kuvvet steeled himself for what he could recite from memory after hearing her gloom about it all thousands and thousands of times.

"Always so jealous, so bewitched by herself. What could that heartless Illusion know about kinship forged from raising three Illusions into the very strong capable beings? She only knew how to destroy, destroy my perfect trio. Askair, Silah, my dears. Two gone, one forever tarnished and hungry for her—"

He damned himself, but he couldn't fight the words, bitter in the pit of his stomach like a gulp of vinegar. "Was I never enough for you? I can't be Askair or Silah."

Feelings of warmth, from her, hugged around Kuvvet. He wanted to hold on to the emotion, surprise also taking hold of him. Her talent, she once made every Illusion feel protected and safe. However diminished and weak she had become, she could still evoke tenderness he had long forgotten.

"I adored you, the three of you. You were so strong, so brilliant. But your one and only misgiving was that you could _never_ say no to her. Even now, every thought in your mind is in the reflection of her."

"That's not true. I can deal with her."

She leered in an ugly way that cascaded chills through Kuvvet like the breath of the grim reaper. However warm she could be, she'd only need her face to spark terror in him. He remembered when her exquisite beauty was the envy of all Illusions, even Yeshil, who never admitted it to him. Her amber eyes had turned furious and cloudy yellow, her luscious blue hair became ashy and her pellucid skin was now murky, she was now named Jadde—

She hissed and Kuvvet spat his apologies for the name. The words spewing like vomit from his mouth didn't reach her and with a whip of her arm, wind knocked Kuvvet off his feet. He curled up, catching his breath, darkness stretched for an eternity underneath him.

"I hear you, you think I'm grotesque," her hair covered her face as she sank into the abyss.

"Don't go, please," Kuvvet cried, his voice shrill and childish in a way that he hated of himself. "Don't leave."

She blurred until she completely dissipated into nothingness, leaving Kuvvet alone in every sense of the word: alone in the darkness, alone to face his obstacles and Anahtar, alone without warmth, and alone in his heart. All to punish him for his reluctance in dealing with Anahtar. After laying there from being too ashamed to move, after the silence became too much, he hummed the path back to human world.

* * *

My, my, my, above was the last main OC you need to meet. I usually write slow burn, character moments so trying to write menace, tension, and fighting scenes is a new thing for me. Koenma said they lived in the gray in the first chapter and their motivations live in the gray too. Both Kuvvet and Tsubaki think they're the heroes of their own story.

I've also been trying to hint about Illusions and their specific talents related to emotion or a certain characteristic and what they can urge from others. For example, Kuvvet is strength, physical and mental (even if he doesn't feel that way atm). I have hinted Tsubaki's talent. She has said it a few times (got any guesses?) but you'll find out soon ;) Thank you for reading and if you have a moment, please let me know what you thought.


	9. Ally of Tropes

Warning: Mention of underage drinking and sexual innuendo.

This chapter is dedicated to Mikata. Her name was meant to be a placeholder, chose Mikata because it meant ally, but it stuck. This one peeks into her head and she's definitely a hopeless romantic. The gratuitous and cheesy use of shoujo manga tropes was on purpose. Tatta Hitotsu no Renai (Just One True Love) is a made-up manga that Mikata is obsessed with.

* * *

Tsubaki rolled her ankle to spend nervous energy before opening her review from Ubata and Tamuro. The four-page, single-spaced critique was almost as long as the draft she had submitted a week prior.

" _It is clear from the abstract that the writer is approaching a very complex subject, but that does not mean the writing style itself should be so convoluted…the author failed to acknowledge Gifford's meta-analysis on the section of mental tendencies…completely disregarded the potential differences in the controlled study… and therefore, compromises the entire conclusion…you suck, you suck, you suck, you suck."_

OK. No one actually wrote that last bit, but the review was a few red scribbles away from breaking into repetitions of 'you suck'.

She skimmed it to lessen the initial blow and planned to study it in the safety of her room. Once her ego was slain, she'd get back to revising. Any praise on her published work was due to the brutal feedback that sanded and polished her work until it was shiny and fit for publishing. Knowing that still didn't ease the hollow pain of seeing her work vandalized with red ink.

Her elbow throbbed when she stretched without thinking.

 _Which hurts more? The criticism or my arm? Mundanity or the escape from human life that I wished for?_

Kurama's plant wiggled in her elbow and the burn lessened.

The four. Even in her head, they wouldn't leave her alone. Hiei, who didn't take advantage of a vulnerable moment. Kurama, who put a death plant in her arm, but at least the plant was earning its keep by consuming the dark energy in her elbow. Urameshi and Kuwabara who helped her recuperate after the Ice Illusion. Urameshi had even tried to heal her arm.

All of them had a 'something,' a sense of honor. She thought of Gunah and herself and scoffed. _They really don't grasp who they're up against. We know honor gets you killed._

She ate a rice ball (every time she ate the prior day, something bad happened) at her favorite spot near the flower bushes in bloom in Aojo Common. Rice and tuna tumbled onto her skirt and into the grass under her chair. At that moment, the random grains of white rice adhered to her seaweed resembled teeth, like the hungry plants in Kurama's kitchen.

She ought to dedicate all of her time to squashing Gunah, avoiding Spirit World and their four, but the more the situation developed the more she procrastinated. After leaving Kuwabara's apartment, she went home and ate a rare dinner with her mother before staying up late to finish homework. If she were really serious, she'd forgo human life and focus on her plan. _No,_ not because Güzel's words urging her to do that struck a chord. _I don't even want to think about Temiz._

Red fluttered in the corner of her eye.

A rose hanging near her head puckered. The only flower to do so among several in the windless air. Even as an Illusion, she stared at the winking flower to make sure her lack of sleep wasn't causing hallucinations. Never so intrigued by a flower before, with hesitation, she peeked inside. On the flowerbed, hugged by the petals, sat something round, like a marble.

She poked a finger inside. The flower obliged and dropped a paper ball into her palm.

She unraveled it, but then looked over her shoulder. She read the area, but her faint powers could only render a fuzzy image. Her classmates and some students from other local high schools, but no fox demon.

 _This rose is practically glowing with good Goz._ _A note in a winking flower. How in the world did he manage this?_

 _Show off._

She rolled her eyes and read.

' _I have a few more questions.'_

"Main Street Square, 7 o'clock," read a fruity voice behind her shoulder, causing her to squeak. "What?! No signature?!" Tall with lush black hair and eyelashes that could rival Güzel, Ju-Eun Sonha stole the letter. "No name, but good, stylish penmanship, _definitely male."_ She ran the letter under her nose, flaring her nostrils. "Do I detect rose essence?"

Tsubaki snatched it back. _Thank Goz, he's smart enough to not include a name._ "You tell me. Your nose is better than mine."

"Well, judging from the tone, you're involved in something secretive or _illicit!_ What is it? Drugs? A passionate affair? Or both?"

If Tsubaki weren't so tired she might have laughed.

"Is it from Minamino who _whisked_ you away from us yesterday or do you have another paramour—"

"That's enough Ju-Eun," Esumi nudged the willowy girl aside _hard_ , guiding a timid first year, judging by the mustard-yellow coat of arms on her sweater, to the center of attention. " _Sorry_ to spoil the fun, but we came here for a reason, remember?"

Jealousy, thick and repugnant, hugged Tsubaki tight. _Damn Esumi, you really reek today._

"Right, First in Command, _this_ is the new recruit. We had to look under every rock, under every bridge, within every alley, but we found her," said Ju-Eun.

"Hideko Ohmae," she bowed, stressing her name as if she had stood in the mirror all morning practicing.

"The fresh lamb for sacrifice," said Tsubaki. She sized up the first year. _Cute freckles, bobbed brown hair, quiet but impressive when pushed to her limits, calluses on her fingers from competitive Shogi, ambitious and she comes from a family of middle-class teachers. On scholarship, just like Mikata and me._

The girl rubbed her forehead, blinking rapidly until Tsubaki bounced out of her head.

Ohmae actually took a step back at Tsubaki's greeting.

"She's joking," Esumi patted her shoulder, with a tight simper.

"We're doing drills tonight," said Ju-Eun, with a gleeful clap. "We'll show her the ropes and see if she has the mental capacity."

Tsubaki nodded. Ju-Eun's study drills entailed studying in private karaoke room in one of her family's bars, downing shots of Soju while being bombarded with questions. ("To build mental capacity and stamina! If you can answer when sloshed, you won't even have to think about it when you're sober!" Ju-Eun swore but Tsubaki chided that scientific evidence proved the opposite…)

"Study hard. Drink responsibly. I mean it." She wagged a finger at Ju-Eun. While her methods were unorthodox, Mikata swore they yielded surprising results. ("She mostly does it to scare the weaker ones away." She said once after a committed night of drills resulted in a team-wide bout of hangovers. They won regionals the next day.)

"Is Yabu-san not joining?" asked Ohmae.

Tsubaki's mouth twisted. Her mother was called Yabu-san and hearing it from the first year made her feel old.

"She doesn't _ever_ join study drills," said Esumi, her voice extra snooty.

"She doesn't drink, is all," said Ju-Eun with a dramatic pout.

"Ju-Eun is a studious drunk. I'm a very sleepy drunk," she winked at Ohmae. "I'm jealous. I'm going to miss Sonha's _gamjatang_."

"You could have alllll you wanted if you would jooooin us for study drinks—"

At that moment even the non-clairvoyant girls sensed the hot aura, launched towards Tsubaki's head like a poisoned arrow.

"Incoming," Ju-Eun giggled, nudging Ohmae aside to clear a path for their Third in Command, Mikata Kumashiro.

"You better leave if you don't want to get caught in the fray," said Tsubaki and Ju-Eun nodded.

Mikata trudged, sun glare in her glasses, to their spot before dropping her bag brusquely on the table. She slammed her hands on the table. "OK—spill."

Tsubaki knew exactly _what,_ but she couldn't help feigning disinterest. She hid Kurama's note behind her back. "Spill what?"

Mikata slumped into her chair and adjusted her pigtails. "You know damn well what. First, you acted weird on Monday, then you missed school on Tuesday, at the lecture you _arrived_ looking like you were in a fight and then waltzed away into the night with Shuichi Minamino from Meoiu. Everyone has been asking _me_ about it and I'm tired of not knowing. What's going on?"

"Since when is the entire student body interested in me? Word is traveling awfully fast for some dull science club rumors. Is it a slow gossip day?" Tsubaki filled her mouth with rice and seaweed.

Mikata exhaled to soothe the emotional jitters. "I'm not in the mood for jokes. You _have_ to tell me. I can understand if you don't want others to know, but you have to tell me at least."

Tsubaki saw from Mikata's head the images of Shuichi Minamino gracefully courting her, asking for her number, taking her hand and confessing his love and then pulling her into his embrace with tears running down her cheeks, then the scene fading to black, rose petals circling in the wind for some reason...

Her lip upturned from her churning stomach, _I should stay out of that hotbed of shoujo manga._ She then smacked herself on the forehead. "Of course! _Tatta Hitotsu no Renai_ #44 came out yesterday."

"What does _that_ have to do with anything?" Mikata muttered but the nervous fretful adjustment of her glasses betrayed her.

"It means you were up late last night, reading romance manga, filling your head with fluff."

"…It only takes me 30 minutes to read a whole volume so I don't know what you're insinuating…"

"You read too many romance mangas."

"I only follow three these days. Fewer than before."

"What about your fiction works, Mikata Kumashiro? The ones based on Kyo/Rei's relationship. You stayed up late writing another one, didn't you? There was a very big reveal judging by all of the excited fangirls on the train this morning."

The redness then in her neck. "There _was_ a huge reveal, but you're deflecting. _Tatta_ is irrelevant to what transpired with you yesterday. At least we all know what I did last night, you're still a mystery…"

Tsubaki's heart raced, as it always did when the spotlight was on her. She really hated to lie. "The deal is that Minamino is just another viewer of my scholarship project and he had some questions about my research," she said. The weight of her friend's prying gaze, that could match an Illusion, caused her to shrug. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, but there's really nothing to tell."

"I don't buy it. You expect me to believe—hang on! I wrote this all down." She dug through her bag for her large notepad. Tsubaki saw pages and pages of scribbles of her ongoing fanfic. She cleared her throat and read. "You expect me to believe that Shuichi Minamino, the untamed, foxy prince of Meiou—"

Tsubaki chortled. "You actually wrote a whole essay…. Homeroom is about to start, we don't have time—"

"I will summarize. Relax and eat your onigiri." She cleared her throat. "Theory: Minamino used the lecture as a ploy to get you alone to make a move. Point 1: Minamino has never attended one of our meetings before and decided to show up on the day you present.

"2: He didn't take notes and didn't participate in the Q&A.

"3: He didn't speak with anyone before, during, or after the lecture. Except _when he was alone with you_.

 _Mikata must have watched him closer than I did._

"4: Probably the most important, when I called your house yesterday your mother said you had left with Minamino after being alone with him in an empty house doing God-knows-what—"

"He implanted his seed in me, but otherwise we mostly talked," said Tsubaki, seeing the network of roots and vines under her skin. The plant twitched in her arm, practically deliberate. _Oh, did you hear you were being talked about?_

Nettled, with a sharp noise from her throat, Mikata pressed on. "Save your tasteless jokes and innuendo for after. Finally, if Minamino had academic questions, why not ask them in the auditorium with Ubata, Sano and Tamuro there to supervise? Instead, he offers to walk you home, alone. In conclusion, in my intelligent opinion, Minamino's actions were all to get you alone and you were happy to be alone with him to do God-knows-what, alone." She shut her notepad with an accomplished glint in her glasses. "So are you still trying to pretend that you and Minamino while you were alone only _just talked about science_?"

How many times could Mikata stuff the word 'alone' into a few sentences?

If Tsubaki wanted to be cheap, she could easily mention Ichiro Daigo of Meiou, the boy who was hopelessly smitten with Mikata. From such a calm face you'd think was studious, came an outpour of lovesick thoughts about her best friend during every lecture. Of course, she had no idea the boy even existed. How could she? The boy could only bear to sneak glances at her, forget about talking to her. Sure, he was no Kyo from _Tatta_ but with his bed-head hair that could be construed as artfully messy, Tsubaki believed Mikata could find the sexy but sensitive bishounen in him.

However tempting, Tsubaki wouldn't go there. Mikata deserved better. Until he gave up being a coward, he'd never be good enough for her.

"I don't have a rebuttal drafted, but yes, I am sticking to my story," said Tsubaki. "I suggest you send that work to Ju-Eun and Esumi for peer review."

Mikata snickered. "Esumi hates you, by the way."

"Tell me something I don't know."

"She hates you _for yesterday,_ I mean. I thought you knew. She has crushed on Minamino for years."

"Not my problem, but she has nothing to worry about."

"You never did tell me why you went to the Bay on Monday. Wait a minute," said Mikata and then Tsubaki could see the puzzle pieces fitting together in her head. "Of course. Why didn't I see it? When you left early, you met him, didn't you?"

 _Damn._ Chewing on a stiff sheet of seaweed, Tsubaki took her sweet time before answering.

A smart companion, Mikata wasn't easy to fool. If only the situation really were so mundane and didn't evolve supernatural beings and Spirit World...

Feeling generous Tsubaki nodded.

Mikata slapped her hands over her mouth, repressing a squeal.

"But before you get excited, nothing even close to romantic happened." Who knew what Kurama's perversions were, but Tsubaki didn't find anything romantic about blood lust plants waiting to chomp on her head. If she had hesitated a second longer, the plants would still be digesting her carcass like a snake. If he fancied it, he could turn her into a bloody flower bush with a single word. "I've haven't read much manga, but I'm sure romantic scenes happen in cute cafes and frankly, there isn't anything _remotely_ romantic or sexy about the industrial bay."

"There could be love motels in that area or you could be lying about meeting there."

 _Damn Mikata._ "Check my rail pass," she bluffed. "Why would I make up something so specific as the bay? And why would I go all the way there for a love motel?"

Thankfully, Mikata relented, without asking for her pass. "I was joking about the love motels since you brought up the sexual innuendo. But, really, why go to the bay?"

"We have... _a mutual_ out there. That's how we know each other. I've actually known Minamino for a long time."

"Why haven't you ever mentioned knowing him before?"

"Honestly? I forgot. Monday was the first time I've run into him in a very long time."

Mikata narrowed her eyes, testing if Tsubaki could withstand her strong gaze. "You better not be lying to me."

"You know I hate lying."

Mikata sighed. "That's true."

"Besides, I don't like Minamino. You already know about…." She pictured Sessue Tamuro, her mentor. Olive-eyed, smart, looked heart-meltingly good in his trademark black sweaters.

Mikata nodded. "You know…he's too old and as your mentor, it would scandalize his academic career. You wouldn't want him to give that up, would you?"

"You know I never would." She was sixteen, he was twenty and her academic mentor. To her, it wasn't fair that she couldn't court him because in the human world she was considered too young. In real time, where it mattered, she'd be the cradle-robber.

"Fine. I see where you stand, but what about Minamino? Everyone is saying the whole ordeal was a pick-up."

Tsubaki shook her head hard, loose hairs falling out from her ponytail. "I promise he wasn't trying to pick me up. I don't sense that vibe _at all_. Trust me, he doesn't like me." Again, Tsubaki didn't know what his perversions were but she _hoped_ he didn't implant girls he fancied with death plants. "Besides, I bet you he's a big-breast kind of man. Esumi would be perfect for him."

"You're _especially_ snarky today." Mikata resigned and Tsubaki listened in as she reconsidered.

 _This is Tsubaki after all_. _As socially unaware as she is, she has a magically acute sense for discerning suitors. W_ _ish I could do that. If Minamino liked her, she would have sniffed it out, not that he has any known history of romantic pursuits, much to the dismay of his many admirers and Esumi._

 _…but he walked her home and when she agreed…call me a hopeless romantic but I wanted to cruise that ship for all it was worth._

 _The now sinking ship..._

Tsubaki hopped out, remembering _why_ she didn't delve deep into her lovey-dovey mind after the monthly releases of romance manga. Also, in her weakened state, reading minds took more energy than it should have.

With a heavy sigh, Mikata flapped her lips. "This was all anticlimactic. I told everyone I would get the first account from you. Now I have nothing juicy."

Dull images of the mysterious redhead walking her friend home, talking about psychology, played in her head.

 _Really, though, Shuichi Minamino? Just to chat about schoolwork?_ "Man, what a nerd," she said with contempt.

Tsubaki snickered.

Rumors needed fuel, information, and an audience. Esumi hadn't been the only person to give her the stink eye that morning but Mikata was the only one so far that confronted her.

While she found the jealousy and the effort people took to craft a story amusing, the fact that Minamino's affections were considered a prize she ought to appreciate was grating. For all of her academic accomplishments, _this_ was what made her level up in her classmates' eyes. A boy. A false Prince Charming who would let her suffer from a death plant.

The Jaganshi was insulting, Kurama was infuriating. Under his genteel Shuichi shell was the sly Kurama.

Yet.

His rose-scented note was an annoying thorn in her side. He knew where she lived, he knew where to find her at school, and was able to find her favorite spot in Aojo Common, _clearly_. With his death plant, he could easily force her to accept. Yet he presented her with a choice.

Show or don't show. No 'or else', _because that bastard knew it wasn't necessary._

Oh, how it pissed her off. She wedged the note painfully against her palm, the one that smelled of rose essence.

Yet…and she'd never tell anyone, she was intrigued.

* * *

For Mikata, she had squeed at the scandal. All for naught. The boys had swelled with admiration for his gall to approach her with so many witnesses, with a high risk of embarrassment if he had failed. Meanwhile, Mikata had seen Esumi and a few other girls smolder with envy, wishing themselves as the flower Minamino had plucked out of many from his garden to cherish all to himself... OK. Maybe Tsubaki had a point about her reading 'too many mangas'...

For a smart girl, Tsubaki could miss social cues like a dolt and under appreciate the excitement the situation warranted. The situation of two top students, attractive yet neither ever romantically linked, to pair off without a moment of hesitation as if they just clicked, as if love at first sight... Her heart almost burst as she watched them leave together. When Minamino offered to carry Tsubaki's bag, her cheeks had puffed from withholding a delighted squeal that would have put avid junior high fan-girls to shame.

Minamino had been popular with his perfect scores but also his humility and eloquent demeanor, packed in a fit body with gorgeous red hair. Pegged as a loner, they romanticized him, especially after news spread about his terminally ill mother. Suddenly he wasn't antisocial but a broody, misunderstood young man fending for himself while he looked over his sweet mother as her condition deteriorated. His long gazes out of the third-floor window were no longer out of boredom but worry for the instability at home. Whenever his classmates would approach he'd smile with a heaviness, hiding it and bearing it alone, one against the world. Of course, the girls went nuts over him.

Tsubaki's mouth twisted like she ate something sour in her rice ball.

"Wait? Terminally ill mother?" said Tsubaki.

She blinked at her friend. Her clairvoyance could surprise her at times. "I didn't say anything—"

"I mean, I've heard some things about Minamino. His mother was sick or something?"

"Oh yeah, they said she was terminal but then made a _full_ recovery. They say it was a miracle."

She did it then. The glazed look in her eyes that said she was in her head and far, far away from their conversation, thinking a million thoughts per minute.

"Just ask Minamino the next time you see him," she said and Tsubaki pressed her weight against the arm behind her back.

The first bell rang and the crowds began shuffling inside to their respective schools. Right as the girls left their table, Tsubaki turned back to the rose bush. She smelled one before picking it at the stem.

"You're going to make rumors worse if you carry that around."

Carrying it daintily, Tsubaki winked. "Just want it for safe keeping."

Regardless of how much her friend claimed otherwise, Mikata could swear on her entire manga collection that there was at least a tiny part of Tsubaki who was enjoying the rumors.

She saw Tsubaki flinch when straightening her arm.

"By the way, you never told me what happened to that elbow." She had first noticed it the prior day when Minamino pointed it out.

"It's cursed. Someone from a past life with a grudge."

Mikata rolled her eyes. "I hate it when I can't get a straight answer from you."

* * *

"You HAVE to join Minamino. The way you were able to diffuse the situation Osamu created yesterday just proves you're a perfect match," said Daigo, pressing his palms together so hard his wrists shook. First chance that morning, Daigo bombarded Kurama with Inada and Osamu stewing from a distance.

Kurama didn't dare peel his eyes away from his homework to face him. "Really, my accompanying you last time was a one-time excursion."

"If you joined we'd finally have enough manpower."

"Daigo, I _told_ you, he's not interested." Inada finally dragged him back by the collar to give Minamino some breathing space.

Daigo broke out of his friend's clutches. "I'm _not_ giving up this time. It would mean we could compete and make it enough rounds and then face the Aojo team. As an equal and worthy competitor, I could finally talk to Kumashiro."

 _Speaking to her doesn't require such an elaborate scheme_ , Kurama wanted to tell him.

Inada sighed. "Look, no offense to Minamino, but even with him, we'd still lose against those Aoshoujos. It would look terrible when you lose miserably against them. Think of each of them as a finely tuned machine built to beat your ass.

"Ju-Eun Sonha, the drill sergeant, she'll out-drink you until you're lying in a pool of your own puke under a table at one of her family's many bars. Has never lost a lightning round."

"Mao Chen, from Singapore, third year, she can debate you and win in five languages, has every top uni in the country knocking on her door."

"Mirei Esumi, Second in Command, known as the _face_ of the crew since she's the best looking but also because she's two-faced, nice tits though, also their token mathematician, probably from counting her parents' cash. Once she turns twenty she'll inherit more money than we'll ever see in our lives. According to my insiders, she hates being Second."

"You're forgetting their Third in Command, Kumashiro, Daigo's favorite," said Osamu, finally chiming in.

Inada put a sympathetic, chummy arm on Daigo's shoulders. "She does have this..naughty librarian thing about her, but I've heard the way you've talked about her. Daigo, she doesn't exist. She's just an illusion."

 _You're thinking of the other one,_ thought Kurama.

"Then there's First in Command, Tsubaki Yabu. Well, you saw yesterday, do I even have to explain her?" said Inada.

Daigo shook his head. "She is Kumashiro's best friend. She's not that bad. But there's something about her that I can't quite put my finger on. The way she looks at you, how do you put it? She lives in her own head, she's a bit dreamy I think."

 _Or nightmarish,_ Kurama remembered her at arm's length from his sweet mother.

The boys backpedaled at the irritated tick in his brows. "Of course Minamino, everyone on the team knows you've already called dibs on Yabu," said Daigo.

The directness and total misread of his expression were finally enough for Kurama to face them.

"I've wanted to say that was _so_ ballsy what you did. Making a move on her in front of everyone. Even the teachers couldn't believe it," said Inada, giving him a thumbs-up.

Kurama blinked at them, but then remembered their pairing off after the lecture and understood how they could misinterpret the interaction.

"There seems to be a very _irksome_ misunderstanding..."

His words went ignored, Daigo patted him on the shoulder in respect. "You're an inspiration to us all. See? That's why you need to join. Your brazen, fierce leadership would shape us up in no time."

Kurama saw the time on the wall. "I have to leave."

"Great, so you'll think about it?"

Kurama left the question hanging as he shut the door behind him.

* * *

"So you saw her dark energy and a vine in her arm?" Kuwabara stretched his long arms on the park bench. His large body and loud voice took more than his share of space.

Yusuke, Botan, Kurama, Kuwabara, and Hiei sat in the park during their lunch hour after Kurama reached out to them.

"As a human, she is known as Tsubaki Yabu of Aojo Private School for Girls," said Kurama. "I confirmed it yesterday."

"So we all ran into her yesterday in one way," said Yusuke, flipping with the Spyglass between his fingers.

"She's not that scary up close. She also sort of helped us stop a frost monster, " said Kuwabara. "Then she said she's not interested in destroying the human world."

"Don't forget, it could be another one of her tricks," said Botan.

"It's nothing to worry about. Once the curse strikes again, _which it will,_ I will put an end to her misery myself," said Hiei.

"You can't _actually_ kill her Hiei!" cried Botan.

"Don't do anything rash. I don't trust these Illusions," said Yusuke.

"We have put her in a more desperate position. Animals worked into a corner tend to act out," said Kurama.

"I'll say, after what I saw with the Psychic Spyglass, her arm and Kurama's plant, I'd say she's gotta be feeling desperate," said Yusuke.

"She has been desperate since the beginning. You mistake her arrogant charade for coolness," said Hiei.

"She is arrogant, but I don't believe she is stupid," said Kurama.

"You haven't heard what I heard nor have you seen what I've seen," said Hiei.

"I have heard _some,_ " said Kurama. "Has it become a little personal for your Jagan eye?"

"Really, guys, this is no time for pride. Teamwork is the best strategy," said Botan.

"Right, we need to stick together. They're super tricky and not to be trusted," said Kuwabara.

"Hang on just a minute," said Botan. "Not all Illusions are bad. Kuvvet has been patient with you and according to him, you boys underestimated the situation. That's why you failed to catch her in the alley."

"Well, if you think about it," said Kuwabara. "Kuvvet was the one to sic Rando on me for asking a simple question and Tsubaki was the one who squashed Rando."

"She did that?" asked Yusuke.

"Next time I see her, I need to tell her that she jumped the gun," said Kuwabara. "I was about to counterattack before she showed up. She also seemed pretty pissed off that you fired your spirit gun at her after she helped."

"How was _I_ supposed to know that?" Yusuke crossed his arms, huffing. "For a bunch of superior beings who claim to see loads they sure as hell don't see how they rub people the wrong way."

"I do sense a disconnect in her expectations and ours," said Kurama. "She certainly keeps score."

"Why do I feel someone's been keeping score for a long time?" said Kuwabara.

"Funny, the Illusion we're supposed to arrest is helping us while the Illusion who is supposed to help is nowhere to be found," said Yusuke. "By the way, where the hell _is_ Kuvvet?"

"He said yesterday that he is going to seek help from other Illusions," said Botan.

"Great. That's just what we need," said Yusuke. "More of them."

"I don't know about you, but I would rather take care of it before I have to see more of them. They give me the creeps, even when they do save us from an evil frost-breathing monster," said Kuwabara.

Botan pouted. "I wish now I had asked Kuvvet to come with me before he left. If you only spoke to him for a little bit I think you would understand them a bit more."

"Forget about him. If Kurama knows her school," said Yusuke. "At least she's easy to find."

"It is strange how easy she made it," said Botan.

"A little too easy," said Hiei.

"Wouldn't it be simple to ambush her at her home?" Kuwabara said. "Isn't that easiest?"

"She says she doesn't want her human mother to find out. It's not an unreasonable thing to ask," said Kurama.

"She doesn't want to upset her human family, huh?" said Botan. "I'm inclined to agree even though she is the antagonist here. Humans aren't supposed to know about any of this and if that means she promises not to use them as a shield all the better."

With arresting her at her human home out of the question, that left fighting her at random. "So how are we supposed to combat her?" said Yusuke.

"It's simple. Play by her rules and beat her at her own game," Kurama said.

"I'll admit I thought this case would be so simple. Arrest Anahtar and hand her to the Illusions—Boom! Another job well-done." Botan drummed her finger into her chin. "If you say she is weakened that might buy us some time. It might be worth it to just wait for Kuvvet to return before trying to arrest her again."

"I have a question about jurisdiction. By any chance does Kuvvet need Spirit World's permission to be here?" asked Kurama.

It was hard to imagine giving an incorporeal being permission to be anywhere.

"Well technically yes. Koenma granted Kuvvet permission to be in the human world. Anahtar is considered illegal here… _hmmm_ …though now that you mention it…that was _before_ we found out she's living as a human. Oh _gosh,_ that complicates things even more. We can't extradite humans to the other worlds."

"Wait! Even though she's really not human?" asked Kuwabara.

"Still certified flesh and bone human. No can do even if the Illusions have good reason to want her back. Also, there are other issues I forgot to mention. Arresting her is one thing but _containment_ is another. Spirit World doesn't have a facility to hold Illusions so the best we can do is confine her here, which brings us back to square one." said Botan with a nervous laugh. "I haven't told Kuvvet this yet…"

"So she is stuck here?" said Yusuke. _Great._

"Well, that's a good explanation of why she showed her human side immediately. Assuming she knows that of course," said Kurama.

Hiei snorted. "So Spirit World just wasted our time."

"I didn't say you couldn't stop her," retorted Botan, frazzled, red in her cheeks. "You still have to arrest her before we can do anything else."

"You can extradite an Illusion but not a _human_ , you said," said Kurama. "It's purely my speculation, but what if we could somehow get Anahtar to shed Tsubaki Yabu?"

"You mean if she were only Illusion and not human? Then it wouldn't be a problem. We could extradite her lickety-split."

"Would be better in the reverse. I'd rather face her as a human. She'd be a piece of cake. You know, if I fought girls," said Kuwabara.

"But then there's the question of how we can do that," said Kurama. "She swears Anahtar and Tsubaki are a joint endeavor and I have good reason to believe she isn't lying."

"Kuvvet might be able to think of something once I tell him," said Botan.

"Who's to say that he doesn't already know about her human side? I have a feeling he and the Illusions aren't the types to care about a 'no' from Spirit World."

"I don't know. Dealing with a human could be why they reached out to Spirit World in the first place and didn't just take matters into their own hands," said Kuwabara.

"That's a smart point. That would mean Spirit World will have their hands full soon," said Kurama.

"We can't assume that Kuvvet—the Illusions I mean, will follow the rules only to break them in the end," said Botan.

"I don't know. You didn't see what I saw between them. He's desperate to catch her and Tsubaki's ready to attack. He may seem polite but to me, he's not going to let something some law keep him from what he wants."

"If I may intervene," said a voice that sounded as if it came from all around them.

With curls as blue as the cloudless sky, the Illusion approached them. The midday sun emphasized his transparent features as if he were just a hologram.

 _Speak of the devil and he will come._

"Kuvvet, good you're here," said Botan.

"May I ask, is there a reason why you aren't using its name, Anahtar?"

Yusuke exchanged confused looks with everyone.

"You mean Tsubaki? It's the same thing but her human side," said Kuwabara.

 _"She_ doesn't really exist. I told you before to not misname it," said Kuvvet. "It may seem trivial but I must stress it."

"Alright, fine, Anahtar," said Yusuke.

"Before, what the detective said is correct. I do know of Anahtar's human side and it is why I sought help from Spirit World. We influence humans all the time, but actual flesh and bone, we never touch."

"Unfortunately, we can't extradite a human. A procedure doesn't even exist," said Botan.

"I see, that is troubling indeed."

"Seems there's a giant roadblock," said Yusuke, stretching his arms over his head.

"There is another way," he said. "What if I told you there's a way to split her Illusion side apart from her human side?" He lifted his billowing sleeve and Yusuke saw in his hand he held a solid doll with shimmery blue fibers. What intrigued him the most was the distended eyelid in the doll's forehead.

Yusuke raised an eyebrow. "I'm listening."

* * *

A longish one, but I hope you enjoyed it. Thank you, Yileen, as always. I'm glad you're excited for what is to come. I'm not sure how obvious the pairing was before, but it should be clear as crystal after this chapter. Other pairings I've written started on neutral ground but this one will take some work to become convincing but of course, this story is not just about the pairing. Thanks for reading. If you have any feedback or criticism I've love to hear it.


	10. The Seven Shadow Eyes

Hello again! Yileen, thank you again for your feedback. I could cry from joy from your comparison. Huge Sailor Moon fan here. I was worried I had made Tsubaki a little too unlikeable. I'm glad Togashi's characters are sounding good. Dialogue between the four is one of my biggest concerns. Please pardon that this chapter was late. It was a bunch of scenes I had to glue together (but the glue wasn't sticking) and I was sick for a while.

Also, I accidentally lied about not bringing in more OCs. Kara, his name has been mentioned a few times already, but you were not supposed to see him until much later. He muscled his way in here, which is so darn fitting for his character to not even listen to me. The whole chapter had to undergo a rewrite because of him, but I think he made it much better.

* * *

"The doll will be safer in your hands than in mine," said Kuvvet, his hesitance clear when he gave Botan the doll but didn't immediately let go. The doll bounced in Botan's hands like a hot potato. While heavy in energy, the doll itself was light as a feather.

"So this thing is Anahtar. Like a voodoo doll," said Kuwabara with knitted brows, damp from nervous sweat.

"I am unfamiliar with that point of reference," said Kuvvet. He loomed over Kuwabara who then grunted while rubbing his temples. Kuvvet stepped back and blinked to process the new information. "Oh, I see now. Cunning folk, the paranormal, and needles."

" _It's so annoying when they do that."_ Kuwabara muttered. They had learned there were different feels to the Illusions and their minds' touch. Kuvvet was slower but heavy and oppressive while Tsubaki swept through you like a rush of hot wind.

Hiei, who hadn't uttered a word since Kuvvet arrived, finally chimed in. "If it is such a useful tool, why give it to us? Why not use it yourself?"

Kuvvet's energy simmered down, the opposite of what they expected, like a sigh of relief from waiting for that specific question. "When I first arrived here, even before seeing Koenma, I asked myself if I was strong enough to use the doll. I riled up my emotions and used it once. One hit and you know what I felt? _Nothing._ Less than nothing. Can you imagine waiting years and years to confront someone only to reach them from a distance? I would rather use strength and face Anahtar," he said. "I reflected on our last meeting with it. You four were outmatched, but this doll will shift the odds in your favor. When you feel the time is right, use it and Anahtar will give itself up."

Sitting next to Botan on the bench, Yusuke peered over her at the doll. Like the Psychic Spyglass in his pocket, at first glance, it didn't seem like much but the energy he sensed proved otherwise.

He tried to focus on the smoky energy wafting from the fibers. His head aching, he forced his mind to relax and without asking, the energy conjured a vivid image of green-haired, dark-eyed Tsubaki.

The ease of it startled Yusuke who opened his eyes with a jolt. It was the sensation of a blurry image coming into focus. _Is this the_ _'see' Illusions keep harping about?_

"How do we know when we can use it?" asked Kurama.

Kuvvet tapped his forehead, the gesture now familiar to them. "The large eye. Once it is wide open, it's awake and full powered."

"The eye is barely open. That means it takes a while between uses to recharge," said Kurama, as they only saw the smallest bit of white under the distended lid. "Each move must be carefully chosen. May I confirm where you struck it?"

Kuvvet grasped his elbow, the sun gleaming in his heavy sleeves. "The arm. I wondered if you noticed."

Yusuke saw Tsubaki again but doubled over in pain. _How could we not notice?_

Botan rotated the doll with a shaky hand, inspecting for damage in the silk knit. The right elbow flopped and along the fold where the bone joint would be, was a black smudge like grease. Otherwise, the doll appeared new and barely touched.

"Again, why not just use it yourself? Put a solid end to her and this nonsense. Or is it too easy for you?" asked Hiei.

If Kuvvet noticed the impatience in Hiei's voice or the nervous edge from the others, he didn't show it. "On the contrary, I found it too hard to use."

 _Too hard?_

"I only want the doll used to apply pressure to it. I have no intentions of killing it," said Kuvvet, turning to Yusuke to answer his thought.

 _It. He keeps calling her it_.

"You didn't make the doll?" asked Kurama.

"I did not. It was a gift," said Kuvvet.

"If the doll can make Anahtar shed Tsubaki, wouldn't that kill her human side?" asked Kurama.

Shadows fell over Kuvvet's eyes from his curls while the rest of him gleamed. "I already told you. _Tsubaki_ doesn't really exist. Its human side is just an illusion."

* * *

Near Aojo Common sat an Aojo Gakuen facility, which was affectionately named Ao-domu or literally the Green Dome. Tsubaki and Mikata waited in the humid glass greenhouse, their blouses sticking to their sweating backs even after both had shrugged off their sweaters.

Tsubaki crumbled the essay, the one she had carried with her from the lab. " _Tsk._ "

"Something bothering you?" said Mikata, leaning forward to read the species card of a potted plant with large coiled leaves. "You've been hissing like a dragon under your breath for five minutes and I know you want me to say something."

Tsubaki composed herself and delivered her statement in the smoothest voice she could manage. "She is ripping off my work."

The kanji name crinkled from Tsubaki's tight grip but Mikata could decipher it immediately: the name Tsubaki had snarled with contempt over the previous weeks. "Meisa Kurozaki. From Azaju, right? How are you even getting your hands on her work? Do you have blackmail on an insider? Never mind, don't tell me. I'll just read it," she said in a single breath, pushing her glasses up her nose bridge. She smoothed the essay and began. She didn't speak as she read, but her mouth twisted like she chewed on something sour. She twirled the ends of her pigtails, which meant she was done reading and thinking of a concise explanation.

Tsubaki fanned herself with her collar, the swampy heat of the greenhouse compounding her irritation. She didn't even bother to check Mikata's mind. "Well?"

Mikata cleared her throat. "Well…I bet it's at least _inspired_ by your work. At first, I acknowledged natural overlap, as sometimes happens in the field with many authors reading each other's work, but this essay is sketchy."

Tsubaki narrowed her eyes. "And she thinks I don't notice."

"You know what they say, though, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery," said Mikata with a nervous laugh.

"It makes me feel gross. Is this how it feels to be flattered?" said Tsubaki with a cynical edge, rubbing her aching arm.

The ever present pain in her elbow made slight grievances all the more irritating. It remained inconsolable, no matter how much she rubbed, medicated with painkillers, stretched and cradled her arm. She had switched to her left hand to write because her right fingers were beginning to fumble awkwardly. Her sensory and mental power were subdued like someone had placed a gray filter over her eyes, thick wax in her ears and put a blindfold over her mind's eye.

Footsteps, those of boots, approached.

"Yabu-chan, it's ready," said Riya Kapoor, Mao Chen's friend, who was dressed in gardening overalls and smelled of soil and fertilizer. In her gloved hands was a pot with Tsubaki's rose.

"You did a great job, Riya-chan, potting Tsubaki's enchanted rose," said Mikata, sniffing the flower's fresh scent. "The petals wilt away one by one until she can learn to love another and be loved by another." Her eyes sparkled and a scene with two tall shadows framed with rose petals dancing in the wind hit Tsubaki.

"And you said _I_ _'m_ unnerving today," she said. At least Riya giggled.

"It should live about three weeks if you're nice to it," she said, clapping a dirt cloud from her gloves. Her long gorgeous hair was tucked into a hat, noticeable by the bump in her hat. "If I hear you're mistreating it, I'll repossess it."

 _She comes from an asset and lender background, I_ _'ll heed her threat._ She had never been surrounded by so much greenery in her life. A new houseplant, a plant at school and one of an unidentified type literally under her skin. Suddenly she remembered the soft _chops_ and the sticky _squishes_ from the hungry plants in Kurama's kitchen.

"Say, Riya-chan, random but what can you tell me about carnivorous plants?"

* * *

A weight lifted from their minds when the Illusion dissipated abruptly, which led Kurama to believe Kuvvet had eavesdropped on their thoughts for the entire meeting.

Yusuke growled and stretched his legs wide in front of him. "No, it's ok, I _do not_ have more questions to ask about this damn thing before you randomly leave."

"Maybe saying bye before leaving isn't one of their customs," said Kuwabara.

" _He hasn't shown you his toys yet,"_ Tsubaki had said once to Kurama and he felt glad he remembered those words after Kuvvet left.

"She knows the doll exists," said Kurama. "Kuvvet feels the doll is too dangerous for it to stay in his hands for too long. That means he is going to confront her soon, especially now that he knows how to find her."

"But we didn't tell him how to—oh, right," said Yusuke, remembering the tickle in his head.

"No word of a lie, I'm worried if she knows it exists and that even _he_ is reluctant to use it," said Botan.

"So does that mean he worries she'd steal it from him if they fought?" asked Kuwabara.

"That and he worries his frustration will cloud his judgment. I saw it in the alley. She toyed with him and he shouted at her. He really does fear he'll overuse it," said Kurama.

"A pointless fear," said Hiei. "He wants to prolong the situation, I'm sure of it."

"I sense that he believes there is a proper procedure for dealing with her," said Kurama.

"Whatever. If only he'll step on the gas before another bug shows up," said Yusuke.

"You think another freakcloud will appear?" said Botan.

"Without a doubt," said Yusuke.

"When he said earlier that he didn't make the doll. It means whoever made it is fine with killing Tsubaki," said Kurama. "He has allies that despise her more than he does."

"She has allies too," said Hiei. "I've seen one of them. An Illusion who gave her a power aid that she's wearing around her wrist."

 _The bracelet around her wrist_ , Kurama remembered the encounter at her house. How she fidgeted with the bracelet after his death plant had fully grown through her body. "She must be saving it. At least, I assume that since she didn't use it against the death plant or to save her elbow or against the Ice Illusion. She knows Kuvvet is going to confront her."

"And it's not like he shared any details of _when_ he planned on doing that so we could be there if he needed help," said Kuwabara.

 _It raises another suspicion I have: he's keeping his distance._

"Maybe teamwork isn't one of their customs. So, bashing this thing, every limb, all at once, would separate Anahtar from Tsubaki, but that would be killing her human side," said Yusuke.

Minutes prior they used the word 'shedding' her human side and then it seemed less brutal. It was a joint endeavor, not a possession so there was nothing to dispossess. If they took Anahtar, Tsubaki would go with her.

"Correct," said Kurama.

"Well, that escalated pretty fast from arresting an Illusion to killing a human," said Yusuke.

"Wait, wait," said Kuwabara. "Who says we have to kill anyone? We do what we set out to do: arrest her and that's it. We don't need that stinking doll."

"Are you that desperate to take on another Illusion-bug that you can't handle by yourself?" Hiei mocked. "Next time the Illusion might not take pity on you."

"Hiei brings up a compelling point. Is it worth waiting for Kuvvet to settle his grudge with Anahtar while more dangerous illusion-monsters appear and is killing Tsubaki conscionable?"

"Forget conscionable, it's illegal. Point blank. So that settles that," said Botan, crossing her arms. A moment of silence between them. When none of the four affirmed her statement, she peered at each of them to read their expressions. Their eyes avoided her. "We're on the same page right? …Right?"

"Look, I agree. I'm not down with killing Tsubaki even if it would be easy," said Yusuke. He took the doll from Botan's lap. "For now, we play keep away from Anahtar. Try not to think about it if you ever run into her, easier said than done, I know. Worst case scenario, we crush a limb and arrest her."

* * *

The two girls walked out of the greenhouse with Tsubaki balancing her bags and a large glass jar. The warm but dry air just from contrast to the swampy, humid greenhouse felt cool against their cheeks but they welcomed it.

"I don't know what Riya was thinking when she trusted you with that thing," said Mikata, lifting the jar cover to look at the carnivorous Spoonleaf Sundew growing inside. Still a green baby, the plant with oblong leaves had sticky hairs to catch bugs and according to Riya, was still full from a fruitfly she recently fed it.

"I'm not sure either. I could still learn a lot about it even just leaving it in the green dome. What if Bubbles tries to eat it?"

The maple leaves rustled from a gust of wind that carried with it a scent that made Tsubaki stop in her tracks.

The evocative of someone dearly missed, the smell of laughter, an old friend. Brief but ever so distinct. She'd recognize it anywhere.

Mikata had replied, judging by her moving mouth, but Tsubaki heard nothing.

The whiff of vexing shenanigans dragged her far into the past with bittersweet nostalgia. Even if her elbow didn't prevent her from instant travel, she wouldn't know how to find him. Güzel was probably hot on his tail anyway.

 _It_ _'s about time you showed up._

* * *

"I will leave the doll in your hands," said Botan, her oar materializing in her hand. "I'll dash back to Spirit world to brief Koenma on the recent developments. Remember, teamwork is the best strategy," She stared into the sky, leaving the four to contemplate in silence.

Yusuke held the doll but away from his body with an outstretched arm. The energy flowing through the doll eerily reminded them of Tsubaki, as if she lingered on the bench next to Yusuke. If they tried to focus on the effusive energy, their heads ached.

 _Headaches. This case is nonstop headaches._

"I can't believe we just spent half an hour talking about this damn thing," said Yusuke. "I'm not walking around with this thing at school. No way."

Even in the short time they had spent with Anahtar, Tsubaki, whatever, she hadn't behaved like the other villains in the past. Not like the low-level demons, cavorting for power or malicious thrills or like Toguro who had a special interest in Yusuke. However uncertain they were about her plan, they failed to sense real evil within her or any intentions to kill them. That should have relieved them but it clouded their minds with unease and hesitation. In their hands was an undeniably powerful artifact that could end their problem with a single, fatal blow…yet why couldn't they use it?

"I don't know, guys," said Kuwabara finally. "I don't think we should use it at all. Kuvvet made it sound really painful."

"He said nothing about pain," said Hiei.

"Then I _think_ it will be painful," said Kuwabara.

As Yusuke rotated the doll, the blue fibers reflected the sun in harsh vertical lines. "After she kicked you off a roof, you care about her experiencing some pain?" he said.

"I don't like going overboard, is all. Let the punishment fit the crime," said Kuwabara. "She also did kind of save us from an ice breathing monster."

"A monster _she_ created, don't forget," said Hiei from his corner and Kuwabara glared daggers. "Don't feel like you owe her anything."

"It _is_ peculiar," said Kurama. "Create something to fight your enemies only to then destroy it before it kills your enemies. And taking an injury in the process. Back to the doll, Kuwabara is probably right. If her elbow is any indication, it will cause tremendous pain."

"See? Told'ya." Kuwabara snapped at the other two.

"That is her problem," said Hiei. "We're going to run out of options if you keep eliminating them to be humane. If you cowards won't do it, give me the doll." Hiei opened his hand for Yusuke to throw it to him.

"Not so fast, Hiei. You let her go too for a reason," said Kurama.

Hiei closed his hand into a tight fist. "You still haven't bloomed your death plant. And I didn't let _anybody_ go."

"If it makes you feel better, Kuwabara didn't even try to stop her because she was nice to his cat," said Yusuke.

Kuwabara blushed and crossed his arms, resolute in his stance. "I couldn't do it, alright! First of all, I don't hit girls. Second, I have no idea how to even arrest an Illusion. Third…I don't know." He sighed, running out of steam. "Talking to either of them, it feels fishy like there is something behind all of this that I don't know. Like all grounds to arrest her don't make sense. I mean I'd arrest her for creating the ice monster, but she helped stop it too. I feel mixed."

"Let's not beat ourselves up. Instead, let's try to come up with a plan." Rarely soft handed, Yusuke maintained a loose grip as if the mere folding of his hand would send a jolt miles away.

 _Even just a doll, it_ _'s hard to detach the real human that would experience pain, distant torture, all to make her surrender. Not that it's too easy or too hard. It feels wrong._

Kuvvet said harming the doll would harm its spirit link—Tsubaki. He insisted Tsubaki didn't really exist. But Tsubaki was girl who presented her research alongside her friends, who had a pet cat named Bubbles, cared enough about her mother to face Kurama immediately after in spite of the risk to set ground rules. She was as real as any of them.

"I agree with Hiei about one thing," said Kurama. "I don't buy Kuvvet's explanation. Why hasn't he used it himself? He said he hit the elbow, but he ultimately prolonged the situation by not constricting her more drastically," said Kurama. "He wants to catch her, but on certain terms. That means there's something much more personal behind all this."

"On that thought, if it is personal then why would he trust us with it? Not to mention that cyclops doll creeps me out," said Kuwabara.

"I can answer that," said a velvety omniscient voice.

If only slightly more in tune with Illusion energy, Kurama spotted the blue luminescent glow first. Even after meeting two Illusions, the boys were overwhelmed by the feeling of _now, this is a true Illusion._

Angular gold eyes, wide-set mouth with deep smile lines, clawed hands, and sharp diamond shape face. Everything about him was sharp and too bright to bear. "See me as Kara." He greeted them with a fanged smile and a bow.

"Are introductions necessary or do you already _see_ our names?" said Yusuke, holding the doll closer to himself out of instinct. When he looked down, away from Kara, he saw the doll glow as blue as the energy the strange Illusion emitted.

Kurama's eyes burned from the light, brighter than the neon lights down in Roppongi. "Are you an ally of Kuvvet or Anahtar?"

He puckered his lips and tapped his nails against his pointy chin with a long thoughtful sigh. "That's a peculiar question. Am I an ally of someone who no longer exists or an ally of someone I never met?"

"How about _just answer the damn question_ ," Yusuke muttered to Kuwabara.

"Care to have your fortune read?" said Kara, shuffling a deck of what Kurama thought were tarot cards. Shuffling was the word but the cards mingled in the air between his open palms.

"Come to think of it, I remember Koenma mentioning that they did this sort of stuff," said Kuwabara to Yusuke who bit back his 'no'.

"I'll draw five, then show you." Kara laid out five picture cards face down and then flipped them one by one, each drawing an intrigued noise from his throat. "A fox, a psychic, a third visionist, and a ghost detective. You were right. Introductions were not necessary." He licked his lips and flipped the final card. His gold eyes widened and he heaved a satisfied sigh. "My, my, a _grim_ prediction." He flipped the card to show them: a dark hooded figure blowing chilled air. "Grim Reaper's Breath. Ice cold grim reaper's breath, blowing against your neck. But who? Who among these four, who is it for—"

The cards flew out of Kara's hands, scattering in the grass.

"Stop joking around or you'll scare them," said a second omniscient voice, higher and more feminine than Kara's. They couldn't tell if the voice really sounded from all around them or if it just projected in their heads. "I knew something was wrong when I noticed I was missing some of Bonjuk's pearls," said the Illusion with alluring features, _g_ lowing midnight skin. She turned to the four and waved her fingers gracefully. "Ignore him. He can't do divination, cartomancy, any of it." She snatched one of the cards from his deck. "He's trying to trick you. They're just plain white cards." She flipped both blank sides to them.

"Great. Another one. We're up to our asses now," groaned Yusuke, matching Kuwabara's ill expression.

"You're going to attract unwanted attention. Tone yourself down," she nagged.

Even as he whined, the entertained smile never left his face " _Tsk._ We were just having a little bit of fun." Kara dimmed like a fader adjusted to a lower setting.

Kurama wanted to thank the other Illusion. Kara was much easier on the eyes now.

"They already have to deal with Anahtar. They don't need your chaos," said Güzel. She drew in a long breath upon noticing Hiei. " _You_. I remember you. You were stalking Anahtar. You're the Jaganshi. How interesting? So you were able to see and hear me?"

Hiei didn't verbally respond but judging by her satisfied nod, she plucked the tidbit from his head like a single grape from a vine.

"You are an Illusion just like her, them," said Yusuke. The otherworldly beauty sat before with slight unfocus of his eyes as if the details of her striking features in perfect symmetry were too much to bear all at once.

"See me as Güzel. Anahtar already told me your names," she said, tapping her forehead.

"And you can see them, yeah we get it. So are you an ally of Kuvvet or Tsubaki, er I mean Anahtar?" asked Yusuke.

Güzel's blue brow rose. "I used to know both of them very well, Yeshil and Kuvvet. But less of Anahtar and Gunah. Yeshil and Kuvvet are dead names."

"I'm getting really sick of their vague-ass shit," muttered Yusuke to Kuwabara.

"What can you tell us about them? Regardless of the name," said Kurama, drowning out their voices.

Her nose wrinkled. "The name is everything. How can you demand an answer to a question that makes no sense to me?" She leaned closer to them and Yusuke shifted away from her beauty that was so garish his whole face burned from staring for too long.

"You are not really here, are you?" ask Kurama.

"Alas no, I am barely here. A moving image that looks alive in a mirror. Visible to you but I'm just a trick of light. Anahtar has diminished into a human, flesh and all. Don't ever tell her, but it's unbecoming on her."

"They really don't try to hide their disdain of humans, do they?" muttered Kuwabara to Yusuke.

"Be nice, Güzel. I'm sure her human form is splendid," said Kara.

"Still has that hideous green hair," she said.

"It's her trademark, is it not? It was always my favorite feature," he said and she hissed like a serpent.

"Can I ask one question that's been pissing me off since this whole thing started?" said Yusuke, rising to his feet. His body shook with irritation but he held the doll with a gentle grip. "Why is this the first time I've ever heard of you, assholes? I never heard of any Illusion and now I can't go more than ten minutes without one of you digging through my head."

Students from another local high school gawked at the four, gesticulating to the empty air. _"Who are they talking to?"_

Kara cocked a dark brow. "It wasn't always like this. The stories exist because there was once cohesion between our kind and your kind. Demons remember the stories because they live longer. You're young so it was way before your time. King Enma knows, how further down that information trickled I don't know."

"So Spirit World did know, but Koenma did not," said Yusuke.

 _That was a good question of Yusuke to ask. This Kara seems to love the sound of his own voice._

"Illusions are spirits that used to dwell in human and demon worlds. We aren't supposed to be relatable to humans or demons. Nor were we ever meant to take orders from Spirit World. So we were cast out by the King," said Kara.

"You're leaving a lot of the story out…" said Güzel.

"Things become boring when you're a recluse, let me tell you. Imagine being stuck in a dark room for hundreds of years. Many Illusions wanted to negotiate with Spirit World, many would rather take the isolation. Yeshil and I wanted neither."

"I'm still not certain on who this Yeshil person is and why you keep talking about them," said Kuwabara.

Kara paused and backtracked. "Did Gunah not even share that much with you? Aren't you his allies? He still hasn't learned his lesson."

 _That name._ "So you are allies of Anahtar. Only she has ever called him Gunah," said Kurama.

"And why should we trust the information you give us?" said Yusuke. "Since you're allied with her."

Despite being accused, Kara could only smile and Güzel rolled her eyes as if the question was insignificant. "Ally is a strong word. Distrustful of her if she were left to her own devices is what I consider myself," she said.

Kara snorted. "You worry too much, Güzel. No one hates Gunah more than Anahtar." He ran his hands through his raised red hair. " _Sheesh,_ I feel so off calling her Anahtar. The last I saw her, she was still Yeshil. I miss those days."

"So Anahtar, Tsubaki, and Yeshil are all the same person?" said Kuwabara, counting on his fingers.

"Bingo!"

"Why all the names?" said Yusuke. "Tsubaki, I get, but why the name change since I know to you Illusion names are mega important?"

"When she was with me, she was Yeshil and there was Kuvvet. She took on the role as Anahtar to pay a price to Temiz."

"So Illusion names aren't just names. They're roles so a name can change numerous times," said Kurama.

"Bingo!"

"What was her role before as Yeshil?"

"It's a long story," said Kara. "A long time ago there were two Illusions who glowed brighter than all the rest, Nefes and Jadde. One major role can require two or more Illusions. They shared their role. They were wise, radiant and they were inseparable back then, two halves to one whole. But Nefes wanted to work with Spirit World to heal the wounds of the past. Jadde did not."

"They wanted to return to the position we enjoyed over demons and humans. We could create fortune, tragedy, creativity, the tiny urge in your head that ricochets into action, all while being showered with praise and yet our whims were feared. Nefes resigned to sucking up to Spirit World. To her, it was a small price to pay, if it meant returning to former glory, looming over demons and humans. Jadde wouldn't bow to anyone."

"If only Jadde weren't so selfish," said Güzel.

Kara smacked his lips. "You really think Nefes as more sympathetic of the pair? Both sides were terrible."

"Isn't one worse?" said Yusuke.

"Tell me. From your fragile human position. Both believed they were saviors. Which one is worse?"

"Is that a serious question, Kara?" said Güzel. "It would have been worse if Jadde won, _that witch._ "

"The lesser of two evils is it? A croc," said Kara. "I gain and lose nothing on either side so neither really appealed to me."

"Sounds like you've got a good moral compass," said Yusuke.

"Nefes was made from the same grain as Jadde. Maybe her prejudice would have been more underhanded than Jadde, but she certainly would never let you forget you were beneath her."

Kurama peered over to Hiei, reflecting on Tsubaki's patronizing words about Jaganshi and demons. However much she swore she didn't look down on their kind or humans, she was oblivious.

"With all of you thinking of her at once its almost as if she were here now. If you want to get her attention and choke her up," said Kara, his hands mimicked the motion of strangling his throat, "Say _Karagoz_."

"Cargo what?" said Kuwabara.

Kara relished the word as if it were a mouth-watering sweet on his tongue. "The Seven Shadow Eyes."

Güzel flinched before slapping her fingers on Kara's mouth.

His gold eyes glittered, his smile wide and twisted like the Chesire cat even against her pressed fingers. "Really takes me back. Those were decadent days."

"Those were violent days. You lucked out of Temiz's wrath. By the skin of your teeth," said Güzel, her tone laced with warning. "Don't test him by reminiscing about it."

This only seemed to thrill Kara as he met her gaze. "Anytime. Any place. I will fight Temiz."

"Can you tell us more about the Shadow Eyes?" said Kurama, drawing the two's attention back to them.

Güzel, looking ashen, projected an image of six dots in a circle with a seventh in the center.

 _Shaped like an eye. Six followers and a leader._

Kara stepped forward while Güzel explained and bent in the grass. He poked his long index fingernail into the dirt and drew. He seemed to be forming random shapes but Kurama soon realized they were faces.

 **˅_˅** Jadde **=_=** Askair **x_x** Silah **O_O** Nazar **^_^** Kara ***_*** Yeshil **~_~** Kuvvet

"Jadde was head of the seven. Three she considers her sons—Askair, Silah, and Kuvvet. Nazar, who was Yeshil's mentor, Kara, and Yeshil."

"So Anahtar and Kuvvet were once part of the seven," said Hiei.

"Our crew was the resistance to Nefes giving into Spirit World's demands. Jadde destroyed Nefes, but that wasn't her whole plan. She would have done to King Enma and Junior what she did to Nefes. We could have succeeded, back then we were all so magnificent."

"What happened? Who stopped you? King Enma?" asked Yusuke.

Kara dragged his finger across four of the faces and tweaked some of the remaining three. "Not Spirit World, but for more information, you'll have to ask Kuvvet or Anahtar. I left the Shadow Eyes before they fell apart."

 **[˅_˅!]** Jadde **^_^** **(*_*;)** Anahtar **~_~** Gunah

 _Strangely informative. Jadde is isolated from the others. Anahtar is trapped somehow. The erased names are no longer with the seven, but Kara erased their faces but not his own. That means the other three are_ _… dead?_

"Bingo," Kara said before kicking the dirt over his finger faces, sending a cloud of dust into the air.

Hiei snorted. "I see how you lucked out of being in the same position as her. You made the Nefes' side sympathize with you. You betrayed the Shadow Eyes."

Güzel held her breath but Kara smiled. "They thought that at the time. Maybe Anahtar still thinks so. Don't ever tell her but I fear seeing her again. The person I still consider my best friend, if you can imagine. If she is still angry with me then she'll always be angry with me. Or maybe I don't want to see her objectified as Anahtar."

Objectified? "Why did you leave?"

Kara shrugged. "I had a change of heart."

Güzel blushed slightly.

"Why did you join in the first place?"

"The selfish reason? I thought it would be entertaining. The other reason, because of Anahtar's conviction. She was jealous. Thought the freedoms you humans and demons enjoy was undeserved. Don't tell her this either, _I_ _'m not doing much to get on her better side am I?"_ —Kara chuckled to himself in a manner Kurama imagined he did often—"You'll have to understand her affinity and Gunah."

"I'm kind of wishing I took notes. I'm gonna need a glossary for their secret society terms," said Kuwabara.

"Then how about we play? Can you venture a guess at _my_ affinity?"

"And what happens if we guess wrong?" said Kuwabara with a raised brow.

"You won't be _harmed_. Since that's your real question isn't it?" said Kara.

"I'm not a fan of that answer…" Kuwabara grunted.

"What exactly is an affinity? Power? Skills?" asked Hiei.

Silent, Güzel shut her eyes to further withdraw from the exchange. Even her form seemed to blur in Kurama's eyes. Kara mulled over an explanation.

"Koenma touched upon it briefly with you four. ' _T_ he Illusions are said to be responsible for deja-vu, karma, bad luck, but on the flip side, they sprinkle good luck into the worlds.' What do I exude into the world?"

Kurama swallowed before answering. "Mischief, isn't it? The cards, the drawings, how you drew yourself compared to the others."

Kara's smile grew so wide, Kurama wondered if his face could split. He bowed, a loose wisp of vermillion hair bouncing in his upright hairstyle.

"What is your craft, Güzel? If you don't mind my asking…" said Kurama.

She batted thick lashes and lifted her beautiful face up high for display. "Can't you tell?" She leaned over and the tip of her finger graced along Kurama's cheekbones. He couldn't feel the texture of her skin, whether it was soft like a human or scaly like a reptile, only it's lead-weight. "You were made with pleasing symmetry." He could tell Güzel, even with her face so close to his, watched Kara from the corner of her eye. Kara still smiled but his vivacious thrill had diminished.

"You know what we humans say about looks. They don't last forever," said Yusuke.

Güzel exhaled a low breath, the sharp tip of her nail dragged on Kurama's chin. "Beauty is not mere looks, you unseeing simpleton. It is more profound." She turned to Yusuke, her movement fluid and graceful. Yusuke leaned in with full determination to face Güzel's garish beauty squarely, right in her onyx eyes. "For example, beauty to you is your human partner waving to you on a bright spring day like today. Beauty is her gentleness to your toughness. Beauty is the gentleness she perceives in you. Your heart skips a beat when she utters 'Yusuke' in greeting. And you act like names aren't important."

Kurama wasn't completely sure, but Yusuke's cheeks lightly blushed, maybe from embarrassment or the afternoon heat or both.

"Beauty to you, Kurama, is your camellia bush in bloom after a harsh winter. Beauty is your human mother standing tall after many fragile years in the hospital." She turned to the Jaganshi, sitting in his corner of the shade. "Beauty to you, Hiei, is—"

"Alright, we get it," said Yusuke, shoving his hands, with the doll, into his pockets.

"Beauty cannot wither, forever a joy, for it is joy."

Kurama believed Güzel was even less direct than her counterparts and felt she wanted them to ask a particular question. "What is beauty to them?"

When it seemed her face couldn't become more pleasing, her beauty was even more pronounced by her delight. "Beauty to Kuvvet was Yeshil. Beauty to Gunah is Yeshil."

"And what was beauty to Yeshil?"

Her nose crinkled in a way that didn't suit the beauty. "She could never muse on the beauty in anything. Infallible."

"Oh Guzel, wouldn't you say she saw the beauty in Nazar, in me, or even you?"

"Er, Urameshi, are we sure they're allied with her?" asked Kuwabara.

"I digress, Kuvvet's affinity is his battle strength. He also loves to plan and see it come to fruition. He chose that figure from your past because he can't pass up a good fight."

"And...what about Tsubaki?" asked Yusuke.

"No guesses? She has told you. Literally uttered the words from her annoying human mouth," said Güzel, meeting gazes with each of them, to implore someone to guess before finally answering. "Hers is _jealousy_."

However easy he had figured out Kara's affinity, Kurama hadn't the faintest clue about Tsubaki's, yet like his suspicions about Kuvvet, it all dawned on him. Her classmate's contempt, the vindictive way she told off Osamu and her first words to him in his kitchen, as if she were stating her name, _"I'm Jealous, Shuichi."_

"And now it must make sense how they influenced each other. Why Anahtar could face you four in a fight, why Kuvvet is so damn possessive that he won't even let his allies help him. Their relationship goes back very far. Tremulous when it hit its crescendo. She was always far too much for him, for anyone."

"I guessed it was kind of personal," said Yusuke.

"Kind of personal? That's putting it as lightly," said Güzel.

"So are you going to tell us or continue to insinuate?" asked Yusuke.

"Are you really still unaware? All this time lounging here I thought..." She covered her mouth to laugh, either out of modesty or to hide the scandalous glee from marring her immaculate features. "I wonder why Kuvvet hasn't told you to garner more sympathy for the poor, poor one wronged by her. Kuvvet was promised to Yeshil once upon a time."

"Hold up, hold up, hold the heck up. You're telling me he is her ex?" said Yusuke.

"That explains a few things..." said Kuwabara.

"And I bet he's still devastated over it," said Kara. "If there were an Illusion of unrequited love, he'd be the best there ever was. _Sheesh._ "

"Neither of those Illusions exist anymore," she said with haunted the remorse of someone recalling the dead. "Thank sweet Goz for that."

"You never did tell us," said Yusuke, taking out the doll from his pocket. "Why you think Kuvvet gave this to us?"

Not touching the doll, but inching as close as possible, Kara folded his fingers under his chin and posed. "I did build that up, didn't I? The simplest answer is that Kuvvet hated being given toys by Jadde. He prefers to fight with his hands and direct confrontations. She wanted him to keep his distance from his targets. Apple of her eye, she was so over-protective of him."

Kurama wasn't certain at that moment just _what_ sparked it, what made the tumblers clicked in his head, but the answer came to him. "It's not that he's keeping his distance from us. He gave us the doll to keep our distance _from her_. He doesn't trust us."

The three looked to Kurama with stiff faces, processing what he just uttered.

Kara purred, "Some things never change."

The four bent under the immense pressure of Kara and Güzel combing their thoughts. In comparison, Tsubaki's mental intrusions were soft tickles.

"Between the two, who should win?"

The three next to Kurama sent him matching looks of disbelief, saying the answer should be clear as day.

"Though I am deeply fond of Yeshil, it is better for Illusions if she loses this one to Kuvvet and Jadde," said Kara.

"Never tell her I said this, she'd have a field day, but it is better for everyone else if she wins," said Güzel. "But don't hold me to that."

"Wait...what?" said Yusuke.

"I smell second thoughts in the air. The lingering question…you want to know who to trust. But why do you have to trust anyone?" asked Kara.

"Kuvvet is our source and he warned us, but Tsubaki is helping us with the monsters. So who do we trust?" asked Yusuke.

Yusuke's stomach twisted; looking at them warped his senses and balance, a roller coaster that never stopped spinning. She shared her final words before disappearing with a sneer, her beauty suddenly uncannily and creepily human. "You trust neither."

* * *

Phew, a long one but it was fun to write Guzel and Kara together, giving the boys conflicting answers. I hope that wasn't too much of an info dump. Also, I hope the names, especially the multiple aliases aren't confusing. In the future, I'll make a chart about what the names mean and their significance but for now, it would spoil too much. As always, if you have a moment, I'd love to know what you thought. Thank you for reading.


	11. Nagisa

Fat pigeons cooed in the town square while Tsubaki waited near the wishing fountain for Kurama, as directed by his rose-scented note. Not used to waiting, due to her infamy for tardiness, she noticed every twitch and squirm of the vine skeleton beneath her skin. Wasn't it just on the other side of the square, along Main street, that Güzel warned that her arrogance would get her cornered?

The tables had flipped since meeting Güzel; wasn't it only yesterday?

With an elbow plagued with rotten bad Goz and a death plant entangled around her bones, even Tsubaki could agree (not that Güzel would ever hear her say it) she was caught in a dire pinch. Not beyond her abilities to wriggle out, but Gunah and his spirit world allies were formidable opponents, she could admit.

Now even her good arm tired of the heavy glass jar. She set it on the stone bollard seat and she decided to read the info card Riya had scribbled for her.

 _Species: Drosera Intermedia aka Spoonleaf Sundew_

 _Feed bimonthly. Suggestions: fruit flies, blood worms, or ants (dead, please). Can catch its own food. Do NOT give it municipal water or you_ _'ll kill it. Only rain water or distilled. Needs 6-8 hours of indirect sunlight per day. Use sunlamp in winter if necessary. Safe temperatures 10-35 degrees. Congratulations on your new insectivorous baby :D xoxo ~Riya_

She looked inside at the spoon leaves, sprinkled with sticky dew.

 _What the hell was I thinking when I decided to take this thing?_ Riya was super passionate about her plants and a walking encyclopedia; her interest was infectious. Maybe Tsubaki envied her mother's new spider plant and thought it could use some green company. Or maybe because she had a carnivorous plant (an unspecified type) under her skin and she was experiencing a branch of Stockholm syndrome.

 _Is this another procrastination scheme? Another way to set roots in this world when I_ _'m supposed to be finding ways to get out of it?_ She shook her head to muddle the anxious voices. Not sleeping was not helping nor was the excitement from sensing Kara helping.

 _We didn_ _'t part on good terms. What would he say if he saw me now?_

Something else she sensed in the bustling square filled with commuters and party-goers getting an early start on their evening. She tried to focus, but instead of rendering a clear image, the familiar presence buzzed like a mosquito spinning around her in circles. Instead of her sensual sight, her literal sight spotted Urameshi and Kuwabara, sauntering with two students from Sarayashiki high. The brunette with pigtails and honey large eyes— _memory is fuzzy, where have I seen her before? Firefly kanji, K-something. But the girl beside her_ , a wispy girl, wispy in her sugar spun hair and in her delicate slender, limbs.

Within the four, she was the slightest physically and spiritually among them, yet Tsubaki could glide to her, guided by her magnetic presence. _Oh my, she is very interesting._

* * *

"Something wrong Yusuke?" asked Keiko when he suddenly rubbed his face in his hands. "Is your head hurting?"

He forced a smile but it didn't fool her. "Nah, just was hit with some…" He trailed off and Keiko followed the direction of his eyes. "Deja-vu."

A group of salarymen blocked their view, but the teenager's gaze locked with theirs as if no one around them existed.

With a second look, at her face, hair, uniform. "That girl…"

"Oh yeah, Keiko, I know who that is," said her friend, turning away from what Kuwabara just said.

"Yeah, now I recognize her, by her uniform," said Keiko.

"Yeah, we know her too," said Kuwabara, scratching without thinking at the bandage on his cheek.

Yusuke took Keiko by the shoulders and twisted her away so they could continue in a different direction.

"Urameshi? Do you have a moment?" said Tsubaki. Yusuke sighed and steeled himself and his thoughts. Kurama had said her mind-reading powers should be weaker than usual, not that did much to ease his worries when she was the _last_ person they wanted to run into. _Kurama made it sound so easy_ _—stop it Yusuke._ Repressing his thoughts felt like holding his breath—

A pair of school kids scampered behind them and threw coins into the fountain basin. The rush of the water, loud and steady enough that Yusuke listened and it cleansed his anxious mind.

"Ah!" Keiko interjected. "Tsubaki Yabi from Aojo, right?"

Tsubaki nodded. Yusuke didn't like the mixed expression on her face, one would look at someone they thought they remembered but couldn't quite place.

"Your name is mentioned a lot by the science kids at our school."

"Nerd stuff," Yusuke muttered.

"This is random." Keiko turned to Yusuke. "Why would you know Tsubaki Yabu of all people—" Yusuke saw the realization flash on her face, the light bulbing switching on. Shorter than Tsubaki, Keiko leaned in close to read her, looking for clues. "By any chance…is she…are you…"

 _Different?_ He heard her voice, omnipresent around them.

Keiko sank back down on her heels, the gears turning in her head. She wiped her forehead, half for the beading sweat, half trying to flick away the tickle at the front of her mind. She turned to her friend who had just opened her mouth to utter something to Kuwabara. "Say, Nagisa, let's go ahead. These two will meet us at the intersection."

The two girls left, the blonde a pace slower than Keiko.

"Sah, Kuwabara. How was school?" asked Tsubaki. "Did you have any _surprise_ visitors today?"

Kuwabara squeaked and sucked in his lips to hold back his words. Yusuke saw the narrowing of her eyes and _damn it_ , just knew he remembered what they weren't supposed to think about. Yusuke fought the imagery in his own head, glimpses of blue threads skated on the edges of his mind, and the pressure of Tsubaki's mind eye creeping inside. _Do something! She_ _'s gonna see it!_

"Karagoz," Yusuke blurted out. The pressure of her encroaching mind eye released and Tsubaki backpedaled by one pace, widening the berth between them, pale in her face.

"So…you did see Kara," she said. Yusuke waited for her to dig into his mind, but when she didn't, he exhaled and nodded. _Maybe that was all she wanted to confirm._

"What's with the plant?" asked Kuwabara, peering into the jar at first then over to the bracelet on her wrist.

 _So that_ _'s the power aid Hiei was talking about._

Tsubaki closed her hand around the bracelet. "You don't want me to use this on you."

Kuwabara hopped back. "Wasn't asking for it."

"You saw Güzel too, I'm guessing. If you know about this piece," she said.

"What would happen if you used it? Would you turn into a frost monster like the other one?" Yusuke asked.

"I'd get my full Illusion powers back. Not sure of what form. Turn incorporeal or become superhuman—it will be a surprise."

For a moment, they listened to the fountain.

"Kuwabara, go on ahead. Urameshi will join you in a moment," said Tsubaki.

His friend glanced over with a stern expression, ready like the loyal dolt he was to immediately back him up. "I've got this, do what she says." Kuwabara, with one serious, warning look to Tsubaki, threw his bag over his shoulder and left.

She pointed to her eyes then at Kuwabara. "Watch him."

They could hear Kuwabara's stiff laugh as he met with Keiko and her friend.

"What am I supposed to be looking at?" He turned to her, seeing a thin smile on her face, her irises suddenly darker.

"The sun might have been in your eyes, so you might have missed it."

"Missed _what?_ Kuwabara's dumb laugh? Keiko?"

"Nagisa Amemiya."

He couldn't help but glance over to the blonde, so slight against Kuwabara's giant height. "Huh, you mean Keiko's friend? What about her?"

Tsubaki waved a note-card in front of her nose to clear the air.

"I wish you could smell what I smell—or be glad you don't. Love and jealousy twisting together by far smells the _most_ rancid. Even as weak as I am, blondie _reeks_. She's in love and she's jealous of you and Keiko."

Expecting a winding, vague stream of words, Yusuke missed a whole beat before reacting. "Really? Her?"

Tsubaki nodded.

"Never pegged her as being in love with me. Not that I could blame her. Guess I still got it." Yusuke scratched his chin, beaming with vanity.

"Well actually..."

Kuwabara's laugh, more sincere now, bounced over and Nagisa blushed, the source of his amusement from her quip.

"Wait...you mean...?" He hooked his thumb at his orange-haired friend.

She nodded.

Nagisa Amemiya and Kuwabara, eh?

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the Psychic Spyglass. At first, he used Tsubaki as a point of reference (he saw Kurama's plant under her skin and dark energy blurring her elbow) before turning to Nagisa. He saw Keiko's slight energy, dwarfed by Kuwabara's spirit energy but even his immense strength looked faint compared to the emotional waves smoldering from Nagisa. In the same way he couldn't stare at Güzel for long, he had to avert his eyes. He squeezed the corners of his eyes, shedding soothing tears, before taking in the scene again without the strange infra-Illusion filter.

Keiko stood in between them, filling the space Nagisa naturally left between her and Kuwabara. Did Keiko even know?

"Hate to be an asshole, she's a nice girl but Kuwabara is already in love with someone else."

"Match-making is the least of our problems. Hmmm, how do I put this sensitively? You remember our frost monster friend?"

"Are you…telling me…" His voice dipped as low as a whisper even with the others so far out of earshot. "That she's the next Illusion-monster?"

"Without a doubt."

"Is this some kind of joke to you? A frost monster thing made out of spirit and snow I can handle, but messing with Keiko's friends is where I draw the line. Kara told us all about you. Jealousy is your thing, right? So you can stop it. Cut it out and let her go!" Yusuke pointed a finger to her face to empower his command.

She swatted his hand away with crossed eyes. "Get a grip. I didn't start that fire. That jealousy has been plugging away at her for ages, and has nothing to do with me."

"You can't say that you aren't throwing more fuel into it. Like that corrupted illusion that became the frost monster. I saw how you looked at her and _know_ you must have dumped all sorts of—"

"Still blaming me for what was always there," she said. "Fine, this conversation is over. Go on and stop making your friends wait."

He gritted his teeth. Once again, the loud and steady rush of the fountain calmed his mind and soothed his anger. He exhaled a deep breath and remembered Kurama's word: play by her rules and beat her at her game. "Fine, Illusion. What should I expect?"

"Hard to say before it's done cooking. The ingredients are still mixing in the bowl. I can say, that unlike a frost monster, with emotions like jealousy, you can draw on your experience. For example, have you ever noticed how jealousy… _eats_ at you?"

Haunting images brewed in his mind, an angry and spiteful hunger that dug inside one's body, spiraling deeper and deeper. "So…I should expect a horror movie. What do I do about it?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. Don't get too close or it might suck you in too."

"But she's Keiko's friend."

"Yeah, bad, right? She has really cute curly hair, perfect little spirals." She twirled a stubbornly straight green lock around her finger. "Mine can't hold a curl for crap."

"Nothing more than a shrug from you." After seeing the other two Illusions, he wasn't surprised anymore in how little they seemed to care about the consequences. Her and Kara at least, Güzel at least seemed to give a damn.

Again, that offended look Tsubaki gave whenever they accused her of something. "I've been honest—"

"Yes, I get it. Illusions hate lying."

Tsubaki sighed. "I can monitor the situation. If you would like?"

Yusuke crossed his arms. "No need. If it's not done cooking, then maybe there's a chance we can stop it. If it's some pesky jealousy thing, it has to clear up because there's no way in hell I'm gonna fight Nagisa."

"Pesky?" In that moment she smiled, but it reminded him of Kara's anticipation before he revealed the card _Grim Reaper_ _'s Breath_. "If you say so."

Fat chance that luck would be on their side when they had the green-eyed monster beside them repelling all their good fortune. "Maybe I'm thinking too hard about this. All I need to do is ask Kuwabara to take one for the team. He could fake it for a while—"

Tsubaki's groan carried with it so much disgust he thought she could puke. "I knew should have reached out to Keiko about this situation."

"You keep Keiko out of this mess." He said calmly, but with a warning edge. "If any of you Illusions so much as glance in her direction—"

He pictured Kurama's plant blooming, inky red splattering into the air, turning the Illusion into a bed of exquisite demon flowers. It was her impetus to peek into his head to see the gory image, but judging by her backward step, she got the picture.

Tsubaki showed her empty palms. "I know I'm outmatched at the moment. Regardless of what Güzel told you, I'm not that stupid. She was one of the faces you saw in the alley. I grasp how important she is to you. I only was speaking in terms of empathy. She might know how to soothe her friend and talk her down. You don't know the first thing about women or the first thing about Kuwabara if you think he'll go along with your half-ass plan."

 _She_ _'s met him a few times and thinks she knows him?_

Well, that was the thing about Kuwabara. People mistook him for simple but actually, he was straightforward and loud about his values that even a person who met him four times could read him like an open book. And in Tsubaki's case, _everyone_ was an open book.

"Faking it would conflict with too many of his principles. I could twist his arm until it broke off and he still wouldn't go for that. I could beat it into his thick skull that it's for the good of the world but he's stubborn as a mule—" He dragged his hand down his face. "No way he knows so if I told him he would act weird."

"Not even Keiko knows," Tsubaki added. "Everyone knows Kuwabara is smitten with another girl."

Keiko stood in between them so Nagisa hung on the periphery. Far enough to not seem forward but close enough to enjoy a closeness with Kuwabara. With Tsubaki's giant spotlight on it, Yusuke wondered how he had missed it before. Cheery smiles on the surface barely hid her looks of longing, how she hung onto his every word. It was almost hard to watch. Yusuke didn't know her too well, but even shy as she seemed she acted less scared of him than Keiko's other friends.

"So she knows she has no shot and never plans on saying anything? Not to Kuwabara or her friends?"

"A martyr's existence." Tsubaki nodded, watching them with Yusuke. "A slightly insincere one I must add. She's not exactly waiting for his relationship to break up or for his heart to get broken but if in the future…if the circumstances were open." Tsubaki winked. "Another reason she's hanging around, she's waiting for information. Jealousy obsesses over information."

" _Never_ been good with that whole jealousy thing."

"Fitting that you have a front row seat. You'll get to watch it either dissipate like a puff of smoke, or spiral out of control." She twirled a lock of green hair around her finger.

He may have had the front seat, meanwhile, Tsubaki pulled the marionette wires, twisting and spinning them until she inspired the reaction she wanted from her audience.

 _But why? Her mission is to help Illusions, right? She knows she_ _'s not winning sympathy for Illusions by showing how terrible they can be. Kurama, who's visiting Spirit World at the moment, promised he'd find the answer to the question. Until then…even if it meant getting Keiko involved…_

That thought filled him with more anger but he heaved a deep breath, following the mind clearing exercises Kurama armed him with and listened to the fountain. Once again, the rushing water soothed and cleared his mind, and with that, the answer became clear.

"I'll find a way to help Nagisa."

* * *

AN: Tsubaki and the four are starting to feel the pressure. A short one after the previous long ones. I cut this chapter in half to give more emphasis on Nagisa Amemiya. Had to give Kuwabara some love. You can't convince me that he didn't have some people pining over him ^_^;

As always, thank you for the follows and favs, and for your support Yileen. I'm pretty bad with name and face recognition when I first read/watch something new and it was tough trying to figure out how to introduce multiple characters (with multiple names) without confusing readers. Confused characters good, confused readers bad. I'll slow down and let the information sink in before info-dumping more. Trying to learn more about this writing thing and I definitely take what is said on board :)


	12. See, See You

Tsubaki caught Yusuke's arm as he tried to leave on his final note on Nagisa. She pointed above her head like she was about to fire a Spirit gun and paused.

He waited. The two stood in silence among the ambiance of the square. It had become darker than when she had first pulled him aside.

Panning between her face and her finger, he finally asked. "What the hell is it?"

She glanced above her head, at the clouds, the trees, the stars for all he knew. "You don't see anything? Nothing at all?"

"What the hell am I _supposed_ to see?"

She didn't answer. When he met up with Kuwabara, he kicked a pebble down the pavement.

"I know what you talked about," said Kuwabara and Yusuke cringed, unconsciously glancing away from Nagisa walking ahead with Keiko.

"I was _hoping_ I wouldn't have to explain that…"

"Explain what? I saw everything! What she did with her finger," said Kuwabara.

"Wait, you don't mean Nagis—I mean, you saw? What did she do?"

"Oh piss off Urameshi, you were standing right there. It looked like green smoke spinning from her finger that formed words. Just spun inward, over and over: _Don't it twist out of control, if so, don't get sucked in yourself. I see you. See, see you._ Seriously, Urameshi, it was right there like a glowing billboard."

"Tell me, have you seen other weird signs whenever she's around?"

He scratched his chin. "Well, there was one in the alley. 'Raise the Roof' then the advertisement about cold mint before I saw the frost monster, 'the world is about to get cooler'. I didn't pay a whole lot of attention at first, but when I realized they disappeared, it made sense. She wants me to find clues."

"So you can see these clues but I can't?"

"'Fraid so."

"Good thing you don't need the Spyglass. That ability should come in handy."

Kuwabara hushed his voice though Tsubaki was far out of earshot at that point. "She didn't see the… _you know what,_ right?"

The doll, he thought freely in his mind like he had held his breath the entire time he spoke with her. He thought of the doll, but not of the person who held it at that very moment. "No, she doesn't know who has it."

* * *

The streetlights flicked on and the town once fatigued from long work hours glimmered with new life. Dinner service was in full swing, judging by the mouthwatering smells wafting through the square, blending with fruity and wheat alcohols she couldn't touch.

After watching countless people flick coins into the fountain near her, she reached into her pocket. She found a ¥5 coin and shut her eyes to make a wish.

 _Think of something good. To a good peer reviewed essay? No, something else. To date Tamuro-san when I'm out of high school and of age? Pft, get a grip. To win? Too vague. To not die? To get rid of Kurama's stupid plant? Maybe I should think of something bigger than me. Happiness for all Illusions—even the ones I can't stand?_ She pressed the center hole of the coin. _Why am I so bad at this?_

Feeling dumb for clutching the coin for so long, she finally it let slip through her fingers and plop into the water.

A flash of red reflected in the water's surface. "Wishing for something?"

The bones in her hand, stiff from the plant, cracked before facing Kurama. "You're late, again. I may have to tell your mother." She bit her tongue too late. She had remembered the moment his mother had slapped him on the back of the head for being late. Oops. In a normal situation, with a non-demon, she could joke. Not with a death plant one word away from blooming under her skin. She couldn't read his expression for his long fringe had fallen over his eyes.

His death plant squeezed, reaffirming its presence entangled around muscle and bone. _As if I could forget you're there._

"Pardon my tardiness. I was late finishing with my prior engagement." An explanation that didn't explain anything to Tsubaki. He spotted the glass jar in her possession.

"Healthy, well-hydrated, flowers blooming, which means it's fed very well." He read the name on note tied to jar's lid. "Ah, one of Riya Kapoor's plants. She's an excellent botanist."

"How do you know Riya?"

"Ao-domu. I've seen her and others use the greenhouse."

 _That's right. Local high schools share facilities as part of an association. That could explain why Minamino is well known even by Aoshoujos. Could also explain why Esumi knows him._

"Did you plan to talk here?" she asked.

He shrugged as if to suggest that he had no preference and hadn't put much thought to it. "It is in a public space, yet it is loud enough that no one can eavesdrop."

"Well, you made me wait and I'm hungry," said Tsubaki, picking up her jar and bags and led them towards the _Short Ichigo_ cafe _._

* * *

Back in Spirit World, Botan marched into Koenma's office. Footage from Earth played on the overlarge tv.

"Again, Ogre," said Koenma, his knuckles white as he pressed fingernail ridges into the leather of his chair.

Ogre turned the dial left and the images scurried backward.

"Stop! Zoom in there, Ogre!"

Botan caught images from the industrial bay Yusuke had described. Koenma climbed up in his chair, standing so close to the screen his cheek almost touched the fuzzy paused image.

"Koenma, sir, sorry to interrupt," said Botan within arms distance of both Ogre and Koenma. Not even particularly loud in her opinion, her naturally cheery voice must have been cold sandpaper to their ears because they turned to her with color-drained faces. "Good, you've returned from your discussion with the King. I have important news—"

Koenma flailed helplessly. "Urgent! Emergency! All hands on deck and change course!"

"What's wrong, sir?"

He almost punched a hole through his tv. "That doll! Do not under any circumstances let them destroy that doll. You need to bring it here at once! Go!"

"I'm going, I'm going!" Botan almost tripped on her long kimono as she swiveled around, summoning her oar in her hand, to dash right back to human world.

* * *

Soft piano played inside the charming, yellow-lit cafe. Tsubaki sipped her espresso while Kurama ordered tea. _Well, look at him. He plans on sleeping tonight._

She rounded her gaze. Despite being located near the entertainment district, the cafe was well occupied but relatively low in public noise. A college-age student sat with his large medical textbooks, nursing his second mug of coffee. A pair who had ordered before Tsubaki coupled under the yellow lamp, the warm hues adding extra romantic spark between them.

Pft, gross.

Their nerves just yelled 'first date'. The way the girl twirled her straw in her frothy drink just to do something with her nervous hands and the way he both fluffed _and_ smoothed his hair and their laughter, the sound of bells intermingling.

Two cute plates of cute cake slices, the kind that might have looked better than they tasted, arrived at their table. _Oh, Mikata would have a field day if she saw this scene._

Tsubaki barely took in the sight of her food before she ate the strawberry off her shortcake from its bed of cream. Then syrup-soaked sponge cake with cream filled her mouth and for a moment, she couldn't remember the pain in her elbow or the twitching plant. Instead, the cakes tasted even better than they looked.

Kurama hadn't picked up his utensils, opting to continue drinking his tea while Tsubaki, if she allowed herself, could devour her slice in two more bites.

Her finger drew circles on the table as she chewed.

The illusion she conjured was a foot from his face. _It sees, sees you, Kurama, but can you see it?_

He brushed his long fringe aside, his green eyes meeting hers for the first time since they stood near the fountain.

After hearing about the famous Minamino, renowned for his smarts, but especially for his looks, there, facing him, just a tiny bit, she could understand Esumi's infatuation with him.

Tsubaki was no fool; it was all tricks of warm light. In the yellow, orange hues in the café, that embellished his red hair, emphasized his green eyes, the shadows conturing his features and exuded alluring mystery… No wonder Mikata had been so distraught to hear 'nothing' romantic happened between her and Minamino. He could have escaped directly off the pages from one of the many beautiful shoujo mangas in Mikata's over-stuffed book shelf. Still drawing circles on the table, she began to wonder, what exactly was Mikata's shoujo archetype for her?

"Is there a reason for the smoke?" he asked.

Her finger had formed a perfect circle print on the table. "Can you see it?"

His senses extended to their limits behind his concentrating face. "Wisps of green cloud from the table, is that all?"

She stopped circling her finger. "Better than Yusuke but not as good as Kuwabara. That makes my solid theory wobbly now." _So what can explain their improving senses? I've seen Kurama the most but he never saw the frost monster, so, my theory is that he can see from exposure to me. Second I've seen is Kuwabara and he is a psychic AND he has seen the frost monster, and he can see the best. So exposure to me AND the frost monster helps. Yusuke I've seen third, but despite being exposed to the frost monster, he can't see zilch. And then there's Hiei, somewhere out there..._

 _Wait, I forgot to account for exposure to Gunah, and there go my calculations down the toilet._

 _One thing is for sure though. Poor, poor Nagisa, the girl with the cute sugar spun hair. Unless Kuwabara is around when she finishes cooking, she's royally screwed._ Tsubaki sighed, before taking a bite of cake.

"You saw Yusuke and Kuwabara earlier today?"

Her mouth still half full and her fork stacked with more cake, Tsubaki asked him, "By the way, what should I call you? I see two names and it was rude of me not to ask when I visited your house."

"What do _you_ see?"

"Two names. Shuichi Minamino and Kurama. Kurama, I can tell, is very old, Shuichi is newer, but of an equal bearing."

"Equal bearing," Kurama repeated, while he arranged his napkin and picked up his fork. "Either name is fine in private. But in front of humans, I'm Minamino. I know in front of humans you are Tsubaki. You're Anahtar among Illusions, but in private circles, does anyone ever call your old name, Yeshil?"

She wasn't sure when or how Kara slipped from her mind but it was the second time that day the boys had dropped information on her that made her pause. If she were a better liar, she could at least hide the slips in her composure. She ground her teeth together, restraining the questions she was dying to ask but she worried her excitement would put her even more at his mercy. "You've had a very busy day."

"Would you like to ask about your friend?"

The piano changed key and Tsubaki put her fork down to listen.

"Kara wishes you well, but he is ambivalent at best about your cause. Meanwhile, Güzel supports your cause, but seems ambivalent at best…about you." His voice trailed off for a moment. "Otherwise, he was… _charming._ He spoke fondly of you. He thinks you're mad at him."

"I would be more than happy to speak to him now."

"I suggest you tell him yourself," said Kurama but then paused. "But you can't at will, can you? So you're very isolated from other Illusions."

For some reason, Kara's signature _Bingo!_ echoed in his head.

"He is one of the few I wouldn't mind seeing," she said, thumbing the clear bracelet on her wrist. "How much of the beans did they spill? They told you my old name and my current predicament, right?"

"They did not, but I figured it out."

Images from their meeting with Kara poured out once Tsubaki gently prodded. She longed to see her old friend's face, but the flash of _Grim Reaper's Breath_ from Kara's deck and blue threads made her mentally prying grind to a stop.

 _A doll?_

Visions of viewing it from Gunah's hands, then Spirit World's Grim Reaper, all held from a distance. _He gave them the doll. He didn't want it after smashing my elbow. I could repair it if I can just get my hands on it. Does Kurama have it now?_ Each image flashed in his head with the doll held far in the distance. _No, he doesn't, so who?_ She searched for the answer, sure it was Yusuke, Kuwabara, or Hiei. She dove in, like the many times she dove into a pool but the water turned out to be much shallower than she anticipated. _What is this?_ She hit against a mental wall, blocking the answer from her because even Kurama didn't have it. _He doesn't know which of them has it._

She found a scene Kurama seemed to share generously.

"I will see her later, so someone else has to take it," Kurama said to the others, soon after Kara left. And then he turned and the exchange of the doll between the three behind his back. The scene turned black as the three decided.

Expectations lay derailed, yet Tsubaki was charmed and a smile settled on her lips.

 _Clever._

"How did you figure it out?" Tsubaki asked finally.

"I ventured into Spirit world to see what I could find."

"It would be a miracle if you found something. Everything about us was erased from history."

"Call me miraculous."

"Don't keep us waiting, Mr. Miraculous."

"Of course, you're right, historical archives showed nothing, but I changed research methods and explored fiction. You were erased from history but translated into mythology. I understood from Kara that Illusions are not specific beings, but rather forms of the abstract. You may exist now as Anahtar, but there could have been another Anahtar in the past. I read through old tales to search for Anahtar's role. Through reading, I found out that your role is the key holder."

He peered up now to read her expression. If there was meant to be any tension in the moment it was ruined by her shoving a bite of cake into her gob. "Go on," she said, very unladylike between chews.

"That could be a literal key or something more abstract. Either way, you acquired that role, which means you're guarding something, an idea, someplace, or someone."

He had been watching her careful and saw the animation in her eyes at _someone_.

She didn't confirm or deny. _Getting warmer, Kurama._

"If you go back to the Illusions, you'll use the key. If you could go back on your own, you would have already. Your prior imprisonment prevented you from using the key. Kuvvet is trying to stop you from using it."

 _Getting colder again. But he's not far now._

Tsubaki drank more coffee and thought of ordering another.

"Yeshil confused me. The name, as I deciphered means green. Literally green, but I read it used in various contexts. Yeshil could be flora and verdure or in a darker context, jealousy, and envy. I realized there is a duality to Illusions, depending on what you want to inspire: To bloom or deteriorate."

She licked her spoon, the sweetness conflicting with the bitterness from his words. "Can I confess this? You'll think lower of me than you already do but I _enjoyed_ being the Jealous Illusion. Like Kara enjoys his unnerving pranks, Güzel and her awful beauty, I enjoy seeing how jealousy take roots then grows and festers. It can eat through you and you spiral out of control or it may spur change, inner growth, creativity.

"You, Kurama, are a spectacle. The people around you stand on a fine line between admiring you and envying you."

Her cake disappeared in five bites and now she scraped her fork on her plate to catch the sweet crumbs.

He offered her some of his moist brown cake. She took a hearty bite.

"People around you don't know if they can admire or fear you. After you lulled Osamu into a false sense of security, you struck and somehow inspired both embarrassment and jealousy. You mock the meat you feed on," he said, putting his fork down, allowing her to finish the cake she seemed to enjoy.

"No one in that auditorium thought I was wrong. Granted many people thought I was a 'huge bitch' and thought I took it too far, but unanimously, everyone thought I was right. What kind of cake is this?"

He told her. "Vanilla pudding cake soaked in dark rum."

Her throat tightened but she managed to gulp. Another second then she devoured an even bigger bite. She checked her watch.

"I haven't forgotten. You never answered my question. Why does your mother have such amazing Goz?" Tsubaki asked, taking them back to her living room where she first blurted the question. "I want to know." She leaned forward in her chair as if to give herself a better view of Kurama's mind.

He pressed a palm against her forehead to kick the trespasser out of his head.

"If you'll be patient, I'll tell you, but only after I ask my next question."

She obliged and sat but at the edge of her chair ready to stand in a heartbeat.

"Are good relations between the worlds feasible? Kara gave me a very short summary on the politics but I cannot help but feel that with Koenma's lack of knowledge on Illusions means he is a blank slate. That he would be more than happy to negotiate a treaty that would allow generous movement for Illusions, if not open movement between your world and the others."

Tsubaki blew air from her nose. "Are you suggesting _we_ are being the difficult side? We should be allowed to come back but Spirit World would not relent in the past. Enma wants us to follow his order and face his judgment when we pass."

"Pardon me and I don't mean to be offensive, but is that so wrong? As a demon, for all of their perceived superiority, in death, demons and humans are equal. We go through the same judgment as humans."

"You're suggesting the impossible. There is no heaven and hell for us. We just cease to exist. Though I shouldn't be giving you any ideas." She put down her fork and despite the coffee she drank, her eyes began to droop. "Now will you answer my question?" Impatience edged in her voice.

He told her of an artifact in Spirit realm that could grant your deepest desires. He had used it to save his mother's life as the end of her natural life loomed closer. Willing to pay the artifact's price and give his life, on a moonlit night Kurama used the mirror. Yusuke had foolishly yet sincerely intervened and saved both their lives.

"My wish for my mother's happiness was granted. That's why you see a strong spiritual presence."

An artifact that could grant wishes at the expense of life must have yielded amazing power.

"What was the name of this artifact?"

Kurama didn't know why he hesitated before uttering, "The Forlorn Hope."

The name seemed to ring a bell in the Illusion as recognition flashed undeniably in her eyes and the tautness of her jaw. Before Kurama could prod she changed the subject.

"I really messed this up." She checked her watch for the second time in less than five minutes. She yawned and she stood with haste he noted, taking her bags and jar. "You should now walk me home now. There is still more to be said, but we should head in that direction. We'll never make it, but we can at least try."

Outside, she pressed the cross-walk button, blinking for her eyes to focus. She shed tears from a heavy yawn but she gave herself a shake, to fight the exhaustion.

"You've had a lot of coffee. Are you feeling tired?" he asked.

"Sssomething like that," she said, starting to slur. "This kind of burnout even caffeine won't fix."

She fumbled her step, not indistinguishable from the drunks who were bar hopping. She carried her face in her hand, trying to shake off whatever wanted to pull her to the ground. "Thiisss faster than I exxpected."

"Is everything alright?"

She waved her hand dismissively but shook her head to say otherwise. "Not really, but it's nothing bad, just sssstartling when it happens—"

"Tsubaki?"

Her eyes rolled back and her body went limp, zapped of her wakefulness. By the grace of his good reflexes, Kurama caught her before she hit the concrete but he missed her glass jar, which shattered to pieces.

* * *

AN: Spirit World, good news, Koenma is back, bad news...he's kind of worried about something after talking to his father...Tsubaki, she finally got the answer she wanted from Kurama and she knows about the doll but doesn't know who has it and the whole dropping midstep thing...

I've been laying out the pieces for several chapters and I hope it will all fit together in a way that is satisfying for you readers. I estimate we are 45ish percent through the story so soon there will be more answers than new questions. Spoiler: it does end well for the poor plant that was dropped.

Thank yous to Star Charter, Yileen and Anon for reviewing since the last update. Thank you for your sweet words :)

It's no longer a spoiler to talk about some names! Anahtar means key, Yeshil means the color green or flora, Güzel means pretty and good, Kara means dark, goz really does mean eye, Temiz means clean, and Kuvvet means strong. Tsubaki means camellia flower, which symbolizes death in some circumstances... and Yabu, her surname I just derived from yabu-tsubaki or wild Tsubaki flowers.

Thank you for reading and see you all in the next chapter :)


	13. Snoring Illusions Sink Ships

When Tsubaki collapsed, Kurama pictured the worst: the doll, the four had sworn among themselves to hide carefully, had been stolen somehow and been crushed. The whole of their interaction flashed before his eyes. He searched and failed to find the crucial detail he must have had missed: a whine of pain, a limp, murmur of a headache, but _something_ had caused her to urge them out of the cafe.

A pang of guilt in his stomach. He hadn't awakened his death plant, still ready to bloom in an instant under her skin, and it wouldn't ever kill without his firm command. Yet that didn't stop the mental image of blood splattered green hair.

Gasps and stunned murmurs from strangers, and while they circled around him, none approached Kurama as he tried to stir Tsubaki.

Blood. A bubble of blood in her nostril. He pressed his fingers her neck and her pulse. Steady. Her vitals read fine, she hadn't grasped her elbow or anywhere else that would suggest injury and the tranquil expression on her even-colored face meant she wasn't in pain. Her breath, definitely there, in fact, it sounded a bit heavy…like snoring.

...Was she asleep?

A bouncer of a nearby music venue, whose size suggested a past career as a sumo wrestler, bulldozed through the crowd and asked Kurama if they required emergency services.

He cradled her in his arms and her snores grew louder as she curled up into a ball. Her scent of honey, sandalwood and elderberry, Tsubaki's distinct scents of daily variance, blanketed around him. "She fainted, is all. I can carry her home."

The spectator's thrill from tragedy gone, the crowd began to disperse. Kurama sighed after the bouncer palmed his shoulder before leaving after being reassured a second time that an ambulance wasn't needed.

The blood at her nose dried before it could trickle down the ridge of her lip. Drool though began to pool on the corner of her agape mouth.

No matter how he stirred her, she didn't awaken. As if for her, she was far too deep in the realm of sleep to be coaxed back into the conscious world. Tsubaki wasn't heavy (especially for him) to carry, but her school bags made her bulky to balance.

Before beginning the trek towards her home, he peered down at the shards of broken glass and the poor Spoonleaf, a bundle of dirt and roots, sideways on the sidewalk.

* * *

Hisa Yabu opened the door to Kurama carrying her daughter and her glasses nearly flew off when she jumped in fright.

"Tsubaki? What happened? Is she okay?" She shooed the cat from the sofa so he could set the snoring Tsubaki down. Interrupted from his nap, Bubbles, once again, glared at Kurama for causing so much commotion.

"She just slipped away. No signs of hard breathing or irregular pulse."

She cupped Tsubaki's cheeks, then she counted the beats in her wrist. "No sign of a fever either… so she just fainted? Right in the middle of the street?"

"It happened so suddenly it took me off guard. Besides the slight nosebleed, she might as well be asleep."

Her mother met his critical look then seemed to gather her wits, by grinding her fingers into her temples. "Has she...by any chance...now look, I know you're both underage and you don't want to get into trouble, but it's important you tell me the truth…has she had anything alcoholic to drink?"

"Just coffee. Though...I bought…" Kurama paused, chewing over the thought. "It's too absurd."

"You can tell me Shuichi-kun."

"Well, she had some rum cake but I don't think that possibly could—"

Her mother heaved a deep sigh, pressing her hand against her chest. "She'll be fine. She's very, very, _ve-ry_ weak with alcohol."

Bubbles already hopped on top of the sofa, circling and kneading to prepare for another nap.

Kurama had replayed the exchange in his head multiple times from different angles, trying to find the key element he missed. He had considered the doll and even the disobedience of his plant, but alcohol? In hindsight, her urgency began as soon as she heard the words 'rum cake' but instead of reacting in a normal manner one would if they had consumed poison (vomiting or seeking medical attention) she _continued to eat more._ "Alcohol? Even baked in a cake? I thought the baking temperatures would neutralize the alcohol."

Hisa threw up her hands and scoffed. "Beats me. All I know is, random fainting plus nosebleed equals consumption of alcohol in her unique case. Let me tell you, I gave her a sip of my wine, it was pungent, strong stuff, years ago to taste and her head hit the table with a _thud_ before she even put down the glass. The doctors think it might be a severe alcohol allergy, but they never found a similar case ever documented so they have no idea how to treat it. All they can suggest is that she should avoid alcohol altogether. I've never seen anything like it."

As if she heard herself being chatted about, Tsubaki cleared her throat and rolled over, her back to her mother and Kurama.

"Nor have I." Again her face lax in a pleasant dreamy expression. It was as if her veins were pumped with anesthesia, it was too deep in the cycle for someone who passed out like a light only minutes prior.

Hisa palmed his shoulder with surprising strength. "Thank you for your patience, Shuichi-kun. I don't know what's with her lately. For a bright girl, she can be inconceivably dumb. She should have noticed after the first bite, then warned you so you wouldn't panic and certainly, she should not have gone for seconds."

"Or thirds," Kurama added. "Please have her call me when she awakens."

* * *

Kuwabara's long _hmmm_ suggested deep mental deliberation while Kurama briefed him on the earlier occurrence over the telephone. "She was out like a light after the frost-monster, and all I know is that was from her elbow," said Kuwabara.

"Actually, I thought it might be something else this time. No complaints of pain and with the odd way she talked—"

"You mean the way she _always_ talks," Kuwabara cut in.

Kurama let out a snort in spite of himself. "I mean that she suggested she knew it was coming. Rushed out of the cafe, towards her home, but said that 'we'd never make it'."

He hummed again, the deepness of his voice rich on the line. "Well, now that I think about it…" Kuwabara informed Kurama about the strange illusions she created when they saw her earlier that day. "Urameshi was standing _right there_ but he couldn't see a thing so _I_ had to be the one to describe everything to him. He said there's another Illusion-monster coming but he claimed he had no other details and just told me to keep my eyes open. Now Urameshi is talking weird—Tsubaki's influence, I tell ya."

 _Kuwabara would be happy to know Tsubaki complimented his vision. Though she clearly plans to use it to her advantage._ "And you swear nothing could have possibly happened to the doll?"

"I know who has it and I almost didn't let him take it—"

"I have to stop you there, Kuwabara. For now, it's for the best if I don't know who has the doll."

"Gotcha. Well, I _might_ know who has it and that it should be fine. What's got you worried? Didn't her mother already say it was the rum cake?"

"She did. It's just, odd to me, Kuwabara. In the human world, it's a very exploitable weakness. One that you wouldn't carelessly share with your enemies."

"Unless you're really dumb or you want your enemies to know and you got a death wish."

"Ignoring the nosebleed, it appears as a common case of fainting. Until she awakens and I have her word to confirm, I'm not prepared to let my guard down."

"Tsubaki…and nosebleeds…" Kuwabara snapped of fingers. "Oh, her mind was crying."

"I didn't get that?"

"'Your mind is crying,' it's an expression they use for when someone's nose is bleeding, she told us after Urameshi had that nosebleed. I know, it's weird. Don't ask me."

 _Just as peculiar as an opponent who shares that she can be defeated by a strong whiff of liquid spirits._ Then it hit him. Hit him with the same sudden smash as Tsubaki's glass jar shattering to pieces on the pavement. "Kuwabara, what if we have been all wrong about this?"

"Did I miss something?"

"The measuring of our energy sensitivities, when she helped Yusuke and you with the frost-monster, the completely unsubtle way of sharing a vital weakness... She's teaching us how to kill an Illusion."

* * *

What is in a name?

Tsubaki had studied the Western playwright William Shakespeare in school but had heard that line referenced culturally to claim one's name, in the grand whole of a person, did not matter.

Pft.

Maybe to humans. To humans who forgot names like they forgot their keys or where they placed their earrings. Then again, that hadn't been how she deciphered his work. Many forgot all too easily, throwing the above quote around, that Shakespeares' characters knew they had to forsake their names.

What is in a name? Everything, Shakespeare should have said.

Names were the grand whole. Illusions without names were _devoured_. Devoured by Delu, the grim reaper. Even Delu, a force of nature rather than a real Illusion who fed the withering and nameless, had a name.

Tsubaki never told anyone, only because it never needed saying, but she never cared for the name Anahtar. Three syllables with a hard stop in the middle. Unlike Yeshil, with its _shh_ like the woosh of ocean waves rolling to shore. On her tongue saying the new name lacked the flowing ease one should have when uttering their own name. She never owned it, but rather it was forced upon her.

In the same way Kuvvet never wanted to become Gunah. But unlike him, who seethed each time she enforced his second name, had accepted her fate. The name forced on her by Temiz was a cuff on her wrist, under Guzel's bracelet.

As part of her upbringing, she and all spirits among her knew the customs of gaining a name. A transformation, a badge of courage to be worn proudly.

For all the wonder in gaining a new name, it was an equally significant curse to lose a name. To watch a part of yourself being eaten. As an Illusion, she was expected to withstand the loss of her name and duty. Because the world needed things and Illusions needed to fit their roles and not complain. But it was _her_ name.

After she became Anahtar, she existed in dark isolation as part of her sentence for her crimes, rarely hearing someone else address her by her second name. In those long moments of deafening silence, she could briefly forget.

When the circumstances turned and she arrived in the human world, she had forgotten herself and her name. Born as a human, her memories were enclosed until she matured enough to bear the laundry list of calamities carried with her name. How disorientating to awaken and realize she wasn't entirely human? Her mind became like a mailbox and stray thoughts from those around her darted towards her. Her opinions of humans soured when their candid thoughts and urges piled onto her. She had to relearn how to eat and sleep for Illusions did neither for replenishment. Flavors from sweets, spices, and juicy foods enlivened her senses that it became too easy to soothe the pain in her stomach. Sleep took much longer to sort out. Even though the punishing scholastic demands of a straight-A student eventually filled her sleepless nights, she was never more mindful of the limitations of her human body.

Anahtar and Tsubaki were one canister of oil and water that needed rigorous shaking from time to time to keep the mix from separating.

She told Kurama adamantly (again, Illusions hated to lie) that her existence was a joint endeavor, not body sharing or possession. If she thought back to her awakening, and moments where she felt neither human nor Illusion, she wondered if that assertion was really true.

During that fateful blue hour, when unfinished homework lay before her on her desk and Bubbles snoozed behind her, when Gunah's voice dragged her out of her human life, into an uncertain realm.

Her real name echoed through the valleys of her city but with no greater volume than if Gunah whispered against her ear.

She had picked up her pencil and continued her homework, but she hadn't managed to add the final touch: sign her human name. 藪椿. Mikata ripped her the next morning while gathering homework, laughing, passing the slip off as chronic sleep deprivation.

Yeshil was her dead name. Tsubaki Yabu was unraveling like a ball of thread, wandering further and further from her outstretched hand. Inevitably stripping her layers as insignificant onion skins, leaving her only as Anahtar. The name of her imprisonment.

Like Gunah. She took away his name as punishment. In the same way Temiz stole her name to punish her.

That was why Gunah struggled, trying to carry himself as Kuvvet (a laughable feat) to Spirit World. You could stretch a new skin on a man's face but the bones and muscle would never completely match. No matter how good the fake, there was always something faintly unnatural about it. That was Gunah's problem with Spirit World and his shaky alliance with Urameshi and his friends. They wanted to trust their source, the man who broke convention and warned them of an Illusion with less than selfless intentions. Yet, and she knew, Yusuke, Kuwabara, Hiei and Kurama could see the mismatched bones beginning to poke through Kuvvet's persona.

Before succumbing to unconsciousness, with Kurama as an unprepared and confused witness, like how final thoughts before sleep could influence a dream, a question soured the sweet coffee and cake taste in her mouth: what name would be left for her to reclaim once it was all over?

* * *

AN: Another shorter one because I'm trying not to stick too many scene jumps in a single chapter. I hope the 'alcohol allergy' bit isn't too hard to believe. My thoughts were that for someone who relies on their mind, deciphering reality versus illusion and sight and to have a mind-altering substance like alcohol added to the mix would be like throwing a wrench in between the gears of a machine.

Also, I changed the name of the fic because 'Disillusion' was a placeholder. It stuck, but I always had qualms about it. I hope the name change doesn't cause confusion!


	14. Don't Speak of the Devil

Despite all his careening, after Botan dashed back to the human world, Koenma sank into his chair. He was zapped of energy. His father, for all of his great omnipresence, hadn't _seen_ Anahtar in the human world over the last sixteen years. Nor had he seen Kuvvet roaming the human world or, most damning, Kuvvet in Spirit World. In a rare, respectful divulge of information, King Enma told Koenma that _yes_ he had heard of the Illusions and had a vast history with dealing with them.

 _Why didn_ _'t you tell me,_ Koenma had asked, interrupting his father.

In another rare admission, one that would linger with Koenma indefinitely, he said, _I made a mistake. I believed they were locked away and that it would be best they were left to be forgotten by history. Don_ _'t speak of the devil if you do not wish to summon his presence._

Koenma remained silent for a long time, missing finer details as his father droned, the question jabbing his mind: wasn't locking them away far too cruel?

 _Don_ _'t worry about the Illusions hating you,_ his father had said. _They require a heavy-handed approach. Any less, no matter how slight, would be swinging Pandora_ _'s box wide open._

For all of the past problems of reigning in a race of spirits too vivacious and slippery for their own good, wasn't isolating them simply ignoring the problem instead of facing it head on? Wasn't engaging them to arrive at a mutual understanding what Koenma was supposed to be doing? Surely they could be reasoned with. Anahtar as Tsubaki had lived in the human world for years without harm to others. Koenma had only met one Illusion, Kuvvet, and he had been patient with him during their discussion—

 _Don't let Kuvvet take Anahtar back yet. Don't_ _let the doll go, for it is our best chance to contain them at last._

Unease burrowed in Koenma as he replayed the scene in the Industrial Bay on his tv, watching for the gleam of enchanted blue threads in Kuvvet's hand before the Illusion struck the doll's right arm. He didn't wish to read too much into semantics but the word _contain_ left him with a slimy impression like the underbelly of a snake. The Illusions existed, as did humans and demons, which meant Koenma was not only allowed to care about them, but he was also responsible for considering their wellbeing.

After meeting Kuvvet, Koenma had jumped the gun. Maybe _he_ should have sought out Anahtar and talked her down, instead of sending in four unprepared fighters (particularly one hothead who immediately fired his Spirit Gun at her…) and not trained diplomats instead. It was too late for should-haves. The atmospheric fluctuations were worsening and humans were being possessed and thereby harmed.

At that moment in time, Koenma would concede that the doll needed to be quarantined. An artifact with that power yield shouldn't be changing hands on Earth like a game of hot potato. It would go into the vault with the other magical artifacts where, he hoped, it would gather dust. It could sit forever, for all he cared, unused to contain no one. Not Illusion, human or demon.

* * *

Far from consciousness, the incessant throb in Tsubaki's elbow was the sole fishing line that dragged her back to the physical realm. Warm feeling spread from her core to the tips of her fingers and the essence of weightlessness faded. She closed her hand around the cursed joint and was met with the gentle rustle of Kurama's plant intertwined with her bones and distant smell of nightlife and flowing alcohol and then the over-formulated whiffs of the floral 'springtime' pet dander spray her mother used in the sitting room.

She had been moved, that much she could grasp. Slowly her surroundings came into focus: the lamp's yellow gleam in the oblong mirror on the wall, the red swirl pattern knitted in the cushion she used for a pillow. Fine gray hairs stuck to her lips that she spat and wiped away. All twenty pounds of Bubbles purred at the top of her head.

 _Purrrgh_ _….purrrgh….purrrgh._

If Tsubaki's hazy memory was anything to go by, she collapsed and awoke, teleported to her sitting room an instant later. However, the heaviness of her sleeping limbs, the dryness of her mouth, her peckish belly, and the clock on the wall that read 22:45 proved she was out for much longer than a mere instant.

She was soundly back inside her body but the lingering dizziness made her not want to test herself. She had heard humans refer to hangovers as a jackhammer to the head but to her, she found it a dizzying chill that made her mind dissipate like smoke. Sometimes the effects were a shorted circuit cutting immediately. Other times it dragged, worsening slowly like frostbite, enough to tease her into hoping maybe she could beat it, but regardless, she inevitably succumbed to it.

The vulnerable and disorientating moment was the one that made Tsubaki feel close to her true self, closer to her Illusion-kind. Bound as a human, she could practice a quarter of her full power but a swig of alcohol (and any substance like it) would hit her like a semi-truck. Only 1/4 of her power and 200% of her weaknesses. In that instance, a few bites of cake moist with rum had knocked her out for more than two hours.

Though a bad practice, Tsubaki would sneak the liquor chocolates her mother had in her study (supposed to be away from Tsubaki's reach) and use them like super sleeping pills for nights her Illusion-side wouldn't cooperate and let her sleep. Bubbles had been a sour witness on the numerous occasions. Again, bad practice that usually left her sluggishly 'hung over' the next day. Self-inflicted bouts of alcohol poisoning gnawed on for longer than the accidental doses, she noticed. And that bout with Kurama proved no different.

Tsubaki rolled over as if that would soothe her queasy stomach. Her groggy movement had awakened Bubbles but the tub of lard yawned and readjusted, hogging her pillow.

In front of her, on the coffee table, beside her mother's Spider plant sat a red plastic cup. She reached for it, hoping for water. Unable to sit up yet, she tilted the cup to peer inside. Her Spoonleaf Sundew a sat in a small bundle of dirt. Somehow during the chaos, Kurama had saved the plant.

"Oh," The sigh eased out her throat. She was joyed by the surprise. "Good. Riya would kill me if she knew."

The rushed clacking of her mother's slippers and an aura of _embarrassment._ It was so potent Tsubaki read it a half minute before her mother emerged from her office down the hall, carrying the cordless house phone.

Tsubaki swept her disheveled hair weighing heavy and awkward before finally sitting up. Even awake, Tsubaki wasn't exactly alert or ready for the avalanche of questions that lingered in the room from her mother and Kurama. They had spoken judging by the residue in the living area from the excitement and emotion in their words and thoughts.

Her mother's embarrassment, mixed with Kurama's confusion and…doubt was it?

Her mother checked the clock and then her wrist watch, unable to believe how much time had passed. She sat in the armchair next to the couch and dropped the phone into her lap. "Finally, Tsubaki, you're awake. How are you feeling?"

"You know…fine." Tsubaki said, keeping the uneasy stomach to herself. The lie came out as easy as her sigh. "Did Kur—" Tsubaki dry coughed. "Did _Shuichi_ bring me here…you know since I'm not in a hospital?"

Her mother breathed in amused exasperation, too preoccupied with the excuse to talk about him that she completely missed Tsubaki's near slip up with his name. "He did, the poor fellow. Carried you and your things here. Even brought your plant. Didn't complain a bit. He's a saint."

Tsubaki covered her smile while moving her curtain of long hair. "Oh, he's an angel alright."

"Didn't seem to mind at all that you didn't warn him after he told you it was rum cake."

Was that why Kurama's doubt filled the air? Pft, Tsubaki wouldn't believe it either if she were in his shoes.

Hisa took off her glasses and rubbed the dark tired skin under her eyes. The tall lamp's glow deepened the shadows on her face, making her look even more worn. "Tsubaki…" she began and from her softened tone, Tsubaki felt the topic shift. "It has been a long time, but I remember because I've been there. I was your age once too—"

 _Oh Goz._

"Maybe you were embarrassed to tell Shuichi about your allergy, worried that he might find you weird—

 _He already knows I_ _'m weird._

"…but you could have really hurt yourself."

"I know I should have said something." She withheld the deliberate eating of rum cake after he had told her. No, it wasn't an explicit lie, saying something _was_ the proper thing to do, but it left a sour taste in her already dry mouth.

"By the way, the forecast said the cherry blossoms should be blooming any day now." Her mother paused and Tsubaki didn't need to be an Illusion to read her mother's intentions. "Wouldn't it be nice to go see the cherry blossoms on Sunday?"

 _With Shuichi._ "With Shuichi you mean?"

"He knows a lot about plants and waxed lyrically about your death plant over there—"

Tsubaki nearly choked but realized her mother meant her carnivorous Spoonleaf on the table and _not_ the literal death plant under her skin.

"—and I just think, even as a guy, with his interest in plants he wouldn't scoff at the idea of going to see them. I can show you how to make the perfect dango. Up north we have a special way with warabi-flour that is sure to impress. You should ask him when you call." Hisa held out the cordless phone.

Tsubaki stared at her, reading a command somewhere embedded in her words and needed the desire in her mother's head spelled out. Wait she meant for Tsubaki to call him immediately?

"He asked for me to tell you to call, but he called half an hour ago anyway to check on you." She forced the phone into Tsubaki's hand. "Don't make him wait another minute. Ask him about the blossoms and _please_ don't say every candid thing that pops into your head."

Her mother dashed out to give her privacy. Once again, misconceptions floated in the air that Tsubaki would shoot down if only she had the energy. Were Mikata and her mother collaborating because the coaxing in their behavior and words were strikingly similar in intentions…

Bubble flicked his whiskers, looking like a disapproving old man with his furrowed brows. He had a disliking towards Kurama, the predator beast who posed a plant under her skin. Tsubaki scratched under his chin. _Are you the only one who isn_ _'t fooled by the Fox's pleasantries?_

Her mouth dry from thirst, her droopy eyes could barely peek open, Tsubaki dialed the last phone number to ring. "But it's almost eleven," Tsubaki uttered to no one, except Bubbles who had long given up on peace and quiet. After hopping onto the coffee table, he then dipped his furry face into the mouth of the plastic cup, presumably making acquaintance with her Spoonleaf.

As the dial tone droned, Tsubaki swayed, ready to nap again sitting up.

Finally, a click and Kurama's suave voice answered on the other end.

"Hello Shuichi..." She began, but her mind drew a blank. She hadn't even thought of what to say. She sat up straighter and scratched her scalp, giving her long hair a shake. "Thank you for making sure my head didn't crack on the concrete like an egg."

Her mother groaned from the hallway, followed by disapproving footsteps to her office.

"As for explaining, I don't even know where to begin."

A short exhale, the beginning of a chuckle from his end. "Your mother shared the basics with me. A rather offbeat _allergy_ you have there." He spoke with portrayed inexactness in the form of a code. It was becoming one of her favorite things about Kurama. Bound as a human, he understood the importance of maintaining a persona and didn't need to be warned that humans were always within earshot.

"I wouldn't even call it an allergy. Just a weakness in my natural disposition."

The line silenced for a long moment. She could feel the gears turning in his head from miles away. "That means all of you?"

"All of us."

"Well next time I run into you, I'll skip the rum cake, but your demonstration was very clear. The others also now know what I know."

What would have Tsubaki given to be in the same room, reading his face and contemplation brewing in the air? How she hated spoken word over the telephone. The experience was muted in comparison.

"Was there anything else?"

She nodded even though he couldn't see. "I haven't forgotten where our conversation ended. Your mother, Kurama, has been affected by the Forlorn Hope. Like a protective signature, a halo, on her aura. You the user should have a scar, yet…" Her voice drifted for a moment as she conjured an image of his aura in her head. She had mapped it out several times unable to find the blemish-like indicator of the Forlorn Hope. "You don't. I thought it might be due to your demon form, but that doesn't make sense either. You should be dead."

"I take it you already knew about the artifact."

She did and it wasn't a secret she cared to keep. "I've never used it, obviously. But I _do_ know someone who has tried to use it once. If you could see what I see you'd have noticed. It beckons you like a shard of light pouring from a slash in a curtain. You can't miss it. A gash down Gunah's aura just like the scar on his face I gave him when I took his name away."

"He has used it? But how? And what for if he's not dead?"

"That…I want to tell you in person." She funneled her voice into the receiver with her hand. Even walls had ears. "I should tell the others too. You should know more about your ally."

* * *

Kurama rested the phone on the receiver with Tsubaki's words gelling for the second time that day, filling the holes bit by bit in her narrative. Among other shallow reasons, the strong spiritual energy emitted by the Forlorn Hope, enveloping his mother, had been why Tsubaki had been so fascinated with her. But then what did the Forlorn Hope have to do with the Illusions? Did Spirit World need to be warned? He would need to make yet another trip—

He paused at the creeping sense of being watched. A second shadow cascaded down the narrow hall. It wasn't his mother for she had gone to bed less an hour prior and even on the phone he would have heard the sound of her door opening. A strange energy that was neither human nor demon loomed over him.

"Did I keep you waiting?"

Kuvvet answered. "I didn't wait. I eavesdropped."

"Do you disapprove?" Kurama finally turned, facing Kuvvet's scarred cheek and transparent robes. Come to think of it, it was the first time Kurama had ever stood eye-level with Kuvvet.

"Disapprove? Don't misunderstand. I think you four are performing excellently. Better than my initial impression, if I'm being honest. I was not brought up with a nuanced view of humans and demons and I am in the midst of shedding that prejudice. If it reared its ugly head before, I apologize." Kuvvet, even while speaking to him, drifted into a leisurely browse, marveled by his surroundings that to Kurama was only his modestly decorated childhood living room.

Kurama had no real way of testing Kuvvet's sincerity, other than Tsubaki repeatedly stating that they 'hate' to lie. Kurama, though better understanding than before about the 'intrusive' nature of the Illusions and their lack of human (or even demon) conventions, could not completely withhold his agitation that yet another Illusion was standing uninvited in his mother's home.

Kuvvet stopped in the middle of his pace, seemingly hyper-aware of Kurama's displeasure.

"Have I offended you?"

Kurama felt the dreadful sense of mental hands thumbing the front of his mind.

"Oh, I understand now. This is your human mother's house. I don't mean to intrude," he said turning away, allowing his voice to bounce against the wall. "And I hope I won't find a demon plant growing under my skin later."

Kurama could read his school certificates hanging on the wall behind Kuvvet through his transparent form. Was there any skin to puncture with a seed even if he so dared?

"A brilliant yet simple way to take control of Anahtar that I applaud. Places even more pressure on its human form and the sooner Anahtar drops this human charade the better."

Kurama remembered his conversation with Kuwabara and the possibility of Tsubaki's 'death wish'—had Kuvvet also heard that too? He cleared his throat. He didn't want to be applauded for that. "If you mean by put pressure, you mean try to get Tsubaki to commit suicide, then we disagree. The plant is a fail-safe to make sure she never sets foot in this house again. By her own impetus, it may never blossom."

Those three syllables halted Kuvvet and his normal patience faded.

"Tsubaki?" Kuvvet said. He stopped again, gathering himself. "Therein lies our main problem. I assume, no, rather I can see it. You've started to trust it."

Trust? Trust? Feeling it necessary to implant a death vine wasn't something he'd do to someone he trusted. "Trust isn't the word or any concept near it."

Again, Kuvvet became hyper aware of Kurama's displeasure.

"And I don't _blame_ you—it did me once. What I'm saying is that you four keep trying to humanize Anahtar. Anahtar, the Illusion is your problem. Not Tsubaki, the human."

 _This is a joint endeavor. Not a possession._ She had said and that was one thing, in the entire situation with the Illusion, that Kurama understood well. If a demon authority trudged into his life one day and demanded Kurama abandon the human world, his mother, and friends, he'd fight too.

Kuvvet opened his mouth, his eyes wide after finding a bit information too delicious to keep to himself. However, he continued his former thought. "If you don't heed my warning, you'll learn the hard way soon enough. If it acts clever enough, you won't even notice. I'm sensing cold feet with you four, if you are unwilling to help—"

"We want to help, Kuvvet. However, we are confused by your behavior. Your words carry urgency but your actions speak otherwise."

"You're right. If I seem unreliable it's because I've been trying to put on a brave face and hide how personally attached I am."

Kurama couldn't help but think of Kuvvet's uncanny physical portrayal of Yusuke.

"Seeing Anahtar, far sooner than I expected, made me want to throw away the doll and my plans. I can act urgent and reckless. The doll can kill Tsubaki. One heavy swipe and no more Tsubaki. Its creator made it so. And while I believe it is the quickest way of handling the situation, it is not the most merciful. Like your plant, it is also a last measure. However, it can be used to contain Anahtar."

"Contain?"

Kuvvet pried the information from his head and then nodded.

"Kara must not have told you, but long in the past one of the many problems Illusions faced were the powerful few among humans, demons and spirits, who tried to ensnare and trap Illusions. Steal our names, bottle us up and enslave us. Can you imagine a whimsical spirit made of smokeless fire calling a fleshy human his _master?_

Was that how Tsubaki saw it? Bottling herself up and wait to be summoned forth like a genie, depending on her master's whims?

"The Junior King, Koenma, only judging from our few interactions, he is _fussy_ , yes, but he can be reasoned with. His father, the King himself, seems to hanker for a collection of Illusions."

Kurama's ears raised, a feral muscle reaction that lingered even in his human form. Did he really mean King Enma?

Kuvvet's motivated gaze made it seem he was glad Kara _hadn_ _'t_ told them if only so he could see for himself how the words would ripple through Kurama. It was one of the clear moments that Kurama remembered that Kuvvet had once been part of the Shadows Eyes with Tsubaki.

"Does it surprise you?" asked Kuvvet. "To hear all powerful King Enma is corrupt? The balance between the three worlds that you feel now was achieved and contained at an extreme price."

"Contain is not…semantics for kill?"

Gleams of blue in the mirror on the wall as Kuvvet shook his head. "I know Kara has told you. Anahtar and I were allies once."

 _Even more once upon a time,_ Kurama thought.

"This streak of misbehavior…she was always like this. She gets it from Kara." Kuvvet's lip and facial muscles pulled back like a smile, but it was pained and agitated. "Yeshil was always rife with flaws. Arrogant, attention-seeking, a game-player, but she gets that from Kara. She was always marred by bad company."

And there he was, dead-naming Yeshil to glum about the past.

"I didn't mean to seem unreliable, but I didn't embellish our opening remarks with that information. Some things shouldn't be said."

"We're all entitled to our secrets. Though knowing that about you and Anahtar would have let us understand you and your position more. You don't have to wait until you have all the answers to come forth. We are, after all, here to help."

"If Anahtar can be contained, it won't continue the human charade. Spirit World won't have to worry about arrests or extraditing a human. No harm, no foul."

The mental pressure seemed to lessen in Kurama's mind—Kuvvet was about to leave—

"Kuvvet, before you go…since everyone had the wrong first impression, I'm compelled to ask, do you think she can be talked down? Be allowed to live the rest of her human life peacefully but only on the revocable truce that she stop her harmful illusions?

Once again, his agitated not-smile. "I don't believe she has a plan. She was never a great strategist, but I know she will not be talked down. Again, the only reason you can trust her is that you don't understand who she is."

Kurama's head flooded with images. An Aoshojo with a cat, an adoring mother, a nerdy best friend, who left dregs of science teams defeated in her wake and wore earthy and sweet perfume that still clung to his uniform. But that was Tsubaki, not Anahtar as Kuvvet would say. "Who is she?"

"Who?" Kuvvet took a second to boil it down into mere words. "Anahtar the key-keeper, formerly known as Yeshil of the Shadow Eyes. Her real self-weaved threads of jealousy into others and would rip them to shreds. She fought her kind and _took away their names_. She locked them away in pitched blackness to be tortured and devoured by Delu and grim reapers. _That_ is her, not…that fleshy human."

As the pressure in Kurama's mind lessened, more images poured in. _This is a joint endeavor, not a possession._ Out of the four Kuvvet could have sought, Kurama (who had two names himself) was the least able to deny Tsubaki's joint existence.

The Illusion faded so gradually, the residual glow tricked Kurama's eyes long after Kuvvet left. He hadn't uttered the one contradiction he foresaw in Kuvvet's plans to split Tsubaki from Anahtar. Tsubaki wasn't as unthrilled about her human life as she conveyed aloud. In trying to regain what he had lost, Kuvvet was on a path to destroying her.

Kurama voiced aloud the words that floated deep in his mind. "I do not envy the predicament you're in."

* * *

After the stroke of midnight and her third cup of coffee, Tsubaki sneaked out to find the doll.

If Kurama didn't have the doll, the possibilities were Hiei, Kuwabara, or Urameshi. Between the four, one person had the doll and one other person saw who took it. With Kurama ruled out, by random choice, she had a 33% chance of being right the first time. If wrong, she then had a 50% chance of running into the person who at least knew who had it. Kuwabara or Urameshi would be easier to find, but none of them were easy targets.

How close of contact were they with Kurama who still had control of the plant beneath her skin? She could be walking into a trap. _I have no intention of killing you._ The fox demon had said. How true was that still?

Being one of the rare hours the trains didn't run and without her transient powers, Tsubaki did the human thing. She walked.

Stepping off the lit concrete path near the Tama river, darkness became her cover. The crunch of the grass beneath her feet joined the buzzing power line and the coo of cicadas.

She paused, breathing in the sudden scent that mixed with the salty clay from the river. Even weak, a mere few she could see anywhere and anytime.

"Come out."

Gunah's infamous blue curls bounced as he bowed his head, appearing above the Tama river like a ghost revealing himself. Gone were the days she would nuzzle her face into his luscious blue curls like a pillow.

"As always, you're a million years too late." Of course, he had to wait to give them the doll beforehand. He didn't appreciate the art of manipulation like his mentor Jadde. He preferred hand-to-hand and seeing his opponent.

"I can put you at ease if you would like. Which of their faces do you fancy?" Like a slot machine, his face shifted between the four. Again, very talented at shapeshifting, he could match their features perfectly but not their presence. Kuwabara on him looked too sinister, Yusuke too dull, Kurama too bored, and Hiei too crazed.

"None of them. I want to look at the scar I gave you while I speak with you." Kurama was the one who suggested _rapport_ so she'd give it a try. "I do want to talk. So let's talk."

"What do you want Anahtar? Because I'm quite confused honestly. Besides to be rid of the burden of your name, I don't know what you want."

"First of all, what I want hasn't ever changed. I want Illusions out of isolation and maybe I've realized I can have more an effect _here_ than in prison. Second, that is _my_ burden and…I'm fine with waiting. I'm fine with playing 'human' and waiting until the end of my natural life to settle Temiz's punishment."

"You would choose to be a human?"

"I'm choosing not to be in prison."

Words were rife in his mouth, building, and building, and yet, instead, he laughed at her. "I'll be damned. The Fox was right."

Tsubaki's cheeks reddened. "What are you laughing at? What was Kurama right about?"

"You can't lie. I _see_ it with my own eyes. You're _enjoying_ your time as a human."

"No, no," she said, defensively. "Wrong conclusion. There is plenty I absolutely detest about being stuck in a human body."

"Then give it up. Go back," he said, breathless.

"And _why_ should I?! Kara has Guzel, Nazar is dead. People like, love me here. Why should I rush back?"

Then he stared deeply at and into her, her mental capacity weighed down by his sympathy. The soft, _condescending_ look on his face that she always hated. Whenever they fought in the past, that look always emerged and enrage her more.

He uttered softly. "Would they still like you if they grasped who you were? Yes, your human mother loves you, but proximity to you means she can't bask in the greatness of her own accomplishments. Instead, she laments her own misgivings, engrossed in bitterness because of a colleague's academic progress and happy marriage."

He stopped on the subject, her malice all but tangible as it wafted towards him.

"It's all you, Anahtar. The little jealous spells building within them, seeds you planted that feast upon them. Not unlike the plant under your human skin at this very moment."

Kurama's plant, sensitive to mention, writhed as if her skin heated to the touch.

"I'm not here to lock you up again."

"Oh? You mean this isn't some mercenary job from Temiz? This is of your own impetus, color me shocked."

"What do you take me for?"

 _A coward. A pawn of Spirit World._

"I am no pawn. If you had talked to me before and showed yourself from the beginning—"

"What do you take me for?" Tsubaki parroted.

"A game player. It's not your fault you're that way."

" _You get that from Kara_ ," she uttered in mimicry of his voice.

"If you're fond of those humans, you should give up the charade. It's selfish of you to put your wants over those back home and the well-being of those you care about here."

It was her turn to laugh. The sound echoed in the open space and she realized that it was only them. Not even the cicadas anymore. "That is _so_ rich coming from you. This human body is not a charade. Even if I killed my human self, I know what would happen."

"I already said I'm not here to lock you away."

"Don't make promises you can't keep."

"May I be candid for a moment?"

She crossed her arms but didn't say anything.

"I'm in awe of you. Even as a human you have retained all your presence. Weaker than you've ever been, with no allies, and yet you've somehow managed to strike fear into Spirit World. Something Jadde couldn't do. But, I know you understand this, you need help. If she were to return, couldn't you be happy with that?"

His vision, if everything aligned perfectly in his way, projected in her mind, vivid and colorful. Illusions would no longer be left in uncaring darkness. The key, her namesake, what she protected with her being, would appear again and release the immaculate Jadde, who would once again glow brighter than all the rest.

Regret struck cold against her heart.

She wanted to shrink, melt into the ground. "Oh Goz, why didn't I see it?" Tsubaki uttered between the fingers pressed against her mouth. "You want to let her out." _I was wrong. Why did I come out? I was so wrong. Why did I think I could do this alone without Kara and Nazar?_

"Don't look at me like that, Yeshil."

"You don't get to call me Yeshil anymore." She backed away, her only escape even if the pain alone could kill her: the river.

He raised his hand and dove forward to close the distance. "I think you would see it my way if you had some time to think about it."

Half from his energy emitting from his outstretched hand, half her scared misstep, Tsubaki broke the river; the water heavy and dark as ink. The pressure hit her lungs, her body piercing through another layer behind intrinsic reality and into its reflection. Feeling in her body pulsed as if she were expanding from the inside. Her elbow, cursed and meant to anchor her, searing, not wanting to cooperate. Her spirit self and human flesh yanking apart so hard she believed for thirty pressing seconds she _would_ die.

Snapping her bracelet would cure the pain. Cutting her arm off at the joint would probably do the trick too, _oh_ would the pain ever stop? She lay there, curled up in the limbo space.

Enticed by the surge in energy, Kurama's plant wiggled and feasted. Her elbow pain ebbed away.

She opened her eyes, the river above like a dark curtain.

 _He_ _'s gone._

She panted in the limbo space, her heartbeats in her ears. She focused on gathering energy to defend, yet she couldn't trace him anywhere. Sighing with relief, she assumed that he wasn't going to bother. Still, the ease of her escape perturbed Tsubaki. For him to just let her go felt like a miraculous dose of luck that was too good to be true.

She'd take it though, tired, and even still dizzy from her rum cake debacle. The doll would have to wait for another night. She wanted more than anything to go home, hug her mother, sleep in her bed and have Bubbles purring at the top of her head.

When it wasn't an absolute searing experience, traveling as an Illusion was one of Tsubaki's favorite things. Behind mirrors, the reflection in large bodies of water, abandoned spaces. When she discovered she could access them as a human, she believed she had found a loophole to the Illusion world but instead it was like a dusty railway with long forgotten train stations. Free for her to use and some lingering remnants of Illusions' past. In three floating steps, she could get from home to school, then to Kagoshima some six hundred miles south of Tokyo.

Tsubaki pressed er palm against the light that was her room on the other side of her favorite long mirror. When the glass should have yielded her through at her touch, the solid refused and pushed back.

She pushed again with more force. The glass, slightly limber, curved but snapped back almost whacking Tsubaki in the nose.

 _Why isn_ _'t it working?_

She wouldn't lock herself out.

Frustrated she pushed with both arms in spite of her injury and pushed much too hard.

The glass splintered in its center, splitting to the edges like a sheet of ice enduring too much weight. She spotted the shadow of someone approaching before the glass shattered to pieces.

* * *

Hisa, in her nightgown, charged in. She had been in the bathroom removing her make up judging by the raccoon smudged eyeliner. "Tsubaki! I thought you were resting. Oh goodness, look at what you've done! You broke your mirror. Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm fine. It just tipped over."

Hisa sighed. "Trying to give me a heart attack like earlier? There have been some weird quakes lately. It must not have been secured to the wall very well. Ja, don't cut yourself, I'll get the broom."

The glass cracked under slippered feet. What remained of the dressing mirror was a brown backing that looked strangely bare and lifeless.

The Illusion snapped off the shard still stuck to the cork backing. The jagged piece caught the overhead light blanching the broken reflection.

* * *

AN: A long one, but I took longer to update. A round of thank-yous to redkatkit, Star Charter, Yileen, Silverwing013 and Good Omens for reviewing since the previous update! May I confess? As a writer, yes, I write for my own enjoyment and to improve...but your comments really help when the going gets tough. The last scene was a bit tricky for me and I _hope_ everyone understands what happened, plot-wise. Any guesses? If not now, I bet y'all will figure it out later ;) As always, I hope you enjoy it!


	15. TGIF

Yusuke knew the coins he threw into the public phone were wasted before Keiko even answered.

"I'm worried about Nagisa," she said. "I talked to her last night on the phone, but she didn't turn up for school today. I'm going to visit her house after school and check on her."

Yusuke gritted his teeth to restrain the impulse to order her to not go, knowing it would only entice her more. That wasn't what he wanted. That was the last thing he wanted. "I don't think that's the brightest idea," he blurted out.

"You've been acting weird since yesterday when we all walked home," said Keiko. "I pried about her feelings for Kuwabara—how you knew about that I still want to know—as you asked. I'm not dumb, Yusuke. There's something strange going on and I can feel it. If you have something to tell me then just say it."

He shoved a white knuckled fist into his pocket. "You remember the green-haired Aoshojou by the fountains?"

"Yeah, Tsubaki Yabu. You spoke to her alone a good ten minutes," she said.

Did he imagine the bitterness laced in her tone or was it only his imagination acting up from his nerves? He bit back the question.

"You remember what you asked, about her being _different_ right?" He dragged the last word, hoping it would insinuate enough that he wouldn't have to spew the finer details. "She warned me that Nagisa could be dangerous right now."

The silence on the line suggested Keiko was mulling over the risks and really taking what he had into consideration—

"Dangerous? Nagisa? What's Nagisa have to do with this? What's happening to her? You know I'm worried about her so it would be better if you just explained what's going on like you promised you would."

Yusuke's face rippled with frustration, shocking a pedestrian who just happened to glance in his direction. "I…can't even begin to explain what is happening to Nagisa." _I barely know what is happening to Nagisa!_

"Mind tricks right?" said Keiko.

"What?"

"Yabu, she..." said Keiko. "Before I would think it's crazy but _I know_ she entered my mind yesterday. I felt it like a tickle in front of my head. I would have thought it was a headache but it was specifically her voice." A moment of silence on the line. "I'm glad you asked me to talk to her to make her feel better, but still. There must be something more I can do to help Nagisa."

Knowing Tsubaki she's got more than a few mind tricks up her sleeve. Yusuke breathed to ease himself and finish what he set out to do. He had only planned for Keiko to talked to her, no more no less. That would be the extent of her involvement in _anything_ that involved the Illusions. "This isn't like the demons you've seen thus far. I will tell you more when I got a second, but for now, you're gonna have to trust me on this one. Stay away from Nagisa."

"Don't be ridiculous, Yusuke. She's my friend and I won't leave her to deal with this by herself."

The phone line cut and Yusuke slammed the phone unto the receiver. "Why do I even bother if she's just to ignore everything I say?! What do I care if she gets eaten by an Illusion!"

He kicked a beer cap that littered the ground and it zipped through the street like a bullet, at least half a block.

….

"Damn it."

* * *

"Hiei! My favorite fire demon!" Botan chirped, calling from behind. "What a miracle that I could find you before anyone else for a change?"

The spirit ran into the demon under a canopy of trees in the city park. A little out in the open for the demon (as if he were waiting for someone to find him) but Botan would accept her splash of good luck and time was of the essence.

"I suppose you need something?" His tone sharpened at _you_ , still polite for Hiei as his way of saying 'get on with it if you must.'

Floating on her oar, she gave him a sideways glance. _"_ Well, Hiei, Koenma sent me and erm, by any chance do you have the doll with you?"

"Kuvvet's doll? It's not in my possession."

Her blue ponytail lopped sideways again to make sure he really wasn't carrying it in his clothes. Even though his clothes weren't tight fitted, it was extremely unlikely the doll was tucked somewhere on him.

She snapped her fingers. "Shoot! I thought it would either go to you or Kurama first." On her oar she leaned forward, beckoning him closer. "You wouldn't happen to know who has it, do you? Don't break my string of good luck!"

"We implemented a system so that only two at any given time knows who has it."

So did he know or not? "Yes, I get that it's to prevent Anahtar from feasting on your brains and finding out, but at this rate, I worry she'll get it before I can get it safely to Spirit World."

He held his gaze on her and she _felt_ the question in the air, one she didn't have time to answer nor did she even know the answer herself: why in the world would Spirit World need the doll?

She bounced away on her oar, feeling safer out of arm's reach. "No matter." She tapped her hands and conjured a large pen and notepad out of thin air.

Hiei's nostrils flared at the strong scent of the giant red pen.

The large tip squeaked as she dragged it to draw an X on Hiei in her picture graph. "That's one down, three to go. Next up is Yusuke."

* * *

TGIF," Mikata sighed, though if she were honest, Friday or not, school work never stopped. Not for weekends, not for holidays, not for new manga releases, not for when she was delirious with fever.

In a top three, elite high school, where most girls were chauffeured, coming from across town she had the longest commute in the school. She and Tsubaki lived on the same train line and often commuted together, and even Tsubaki still departed the train five stops before her.

First oddity that morning, Mikata would later note in her trusty pad, Tsubaki didn't meet her that morning at Marble Arch bakery where they ordered breakfast every Friday morning.

Mikata ordered two croissants with raspberry jam after waiting for as long as she could.

Second oddity that morning, Tsubaki didn't show for homeroom. _Maybe she_ _'s sick,_ thought her rational mind, but her instincts, a twist in her stomach said otherwise. Her often elusive friend had been up to something. (Another random trip to the Industrial Bay? With foxy-prince of Meiou Minamino? Only in her fanfic maybe...)

Third oddity that day...Mikata didn't know where to begin. After school, dusting the pastry flakes off her uniform after resigning to eat the second croissant finally, she spotted a familiar head of green hair near the fountains on Main street.

"Tsubaki? Tsu-ba-ki!" Two tries before the girl finally turned to her.

"Where were you today? You missed an English and Chem exam. And we were supposed to make a decision about the new girl, Ohmae. Esumi went ahead and okayed her joining since we all got on well during study drills. And I ate your croissant by the way, no regrets about that."

There seemed to be a barrier between Mikata's words and Tsubaki, whose face hadn't twitched, awed, or anything to indicate she heard anything.

Mikata took out her glasses case and took off her glasses. The world blurred and Tsubaki was a mere dark green and beige blob as Mikata wiped pollen from her lens with a velvety cloth.

"What is up with you these days? It is so unlike you to be truant. You're not yourself."

The blob stood.

"Sorry, cannot talk." Something clammy, a palm, touched Mikata's forehead.

She felt the sensation of water enveloping her, soundless darkness and then what felt like an instant later, she awakened in her bedroom.

Streaks still on her glasses, which sat lopsided on her ears as if someone had set them there.

Blue analog numbers at her desk: 16:14. She nearly pulled the alarm clock out of the wall to make sure she read the time right. It was some forty minutes earlier than she would she normally arrive if she commuted by train and strolled at a leisurely pace home.

What in the world just happened? The weird coolness like water on her skin, Tsubaki's clammy hand on her forehead.

Her bag was at least safe and everything it carried was where they should have been. She didn't even bother to move to her desk, wanting to capture the peculiarity as fast as possible, as if moving it would compromise the memory's integrity.

She flipped to the page where she had documented the day's first two oddities. She wrote the time and #3 and paused, bamboozled. She scribbled for an entire row on the page: ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

* * *

Kurama ran into the Illusion on his way to Spirit World. In broad daylight, the town square was vivacious with street vendor tents selling clothes and household supplies, and shoppers hunting aggressively for bargains.

Both were clad in their school uniforms yet judging by their lack of heavy school bags, both had been truant from school that day.

"Shopping with your mom?" She asked.

He shook his head, though, he wouldn't be surprised to find his mother there in the throngs of people, buying detergent 2 for 500 yen.

"And you? Were you too hungover for school?"

The breeze carried the scent of sandalwood and elderberry from her sweater and hair. Kurama paused, sustaining his gaze on her.

"I'm waiting for Urameshi," she said, crossing one leg over the other. "Are you joining us?"

He lodged his hands into his pockets, focusing on her scent of sandalwood and elderberry. "Do I need to join?"

She shrugged. "You may if you would like, but it seems like you have other plans."

"I'm going to Spirit World today."

He waited for her mind's touch, but it never came.

"I'm not worried," she said. "I already know you don't have Kuvvet's doll. Whatever information you hope to get on your visit, may you find it."

"Whatever point you're trying to make with your illusion bugs, I hope it's made."

She didn't say anything at that, but she watched him as he left.

* * *

"Where's Botan? I've grown a foot taller waiting for her. If someone doesn't update me on what's going on everyone is getting spankings!" Koenma's voice echoed in his spacious office, papers still flying to the floor after he kicked over a stack as an outlet for his frustration.

"Did I catch you at a bad time?"

Koenma sighed and sank back into his chair, like a _mature professional._ "Ah, Kurama. Please tell me you have the doll and you're coming to bring it here."

Kurama shook his head and the toddler slumped even deeper into his chair cushion, wishing to disappear.

"I'm here for something else. I need to see the Forlorn Hope, but I thought it better to ask instead of taking it without permission this time. I hope it's not still broken."

Koenma dug his fingertips into his armchair. The last thing he needed: someone asking permission to see a Spirit World Protected Artifact. "The mirror is fine, but what in the world do you need it for?"

"I won't be making a wish, but I want to ask it something."

"You mean a request?"

"Ask a question, more precisely."

"What do you need to ask an ancient artifact? If it has to do with the Illusions, you must tell me."

"Won't the King need to know too?" asked Ogre, on the floor gathering the strewn paperwork.

"Not. Now. Ogre." The answer was yes, but Koenma resolved to tell his father only after he figured out Kurama's deal.

"I want to ask how it has been used. One circumstance in particular. I think it would be a good idea if you witnessed the exchange. But we have to hurry."

Koenma munched up his face. Not that he didn't trust the fox demon, but Kurama was too smart for his own good. "Very well," said Koenma, spinning in his wheelie chair. "Ogre! Fetch the mirror!"

The papers once again went flying in the palace.

* * *

I added a new first chapter so pardon if you received double notifications for the latest chapter. Don't hate me ^^; One more chapter left in the mini-Nagisa arc so you have one last chapter to guess what's cooking for Tsubaki ;) I wrote the majority of the story a while ago, but this mini arc I wrote during this last nanowrimo. I plan a lot when I write but I 'discovered' this mini arc and had a lot of fun writing it, especially Mikata's pov scene (I really love it when characters really blossom into their own enough to steal the show for a bit) and the next part, which I can't wait to share with y'all. Took a quick vacation to California and now I'm back full of energy. THANK YOU to ClaireShepardHKKY and Yileen for reviewing since the last update!


	16. Memories Are Like A Box Of Chocolates

Kuwabara twirled his good luck cat key chain on his finger. The charm had splashed good luck on him and he smashed that math test, no biggie. He was in such a good mood he took the scenic route home, cutting through the park. Keiko had been on edge all day and Urameshi didn't turn up so for the day, he was free to pass the time-

A shadow shifted in front of his path and with a high-pitched squeal, Kuwabara threw his book bag aside to free his hands to conjure his spirit sword. His neko keychain even in the frenzy hung off his knuckle, blessing him with more luck. Before he could howl and summon the energy, he recognized the face and spiteful voice.

"Finally," said Hiei and Kuwabara was confused. No one had sent him a memo.

"Hello works too, old pie crust," Kuwabara spat.

"Pardon the lack of pleasantries, they've been waiting all day," said another voice, emerging from a tree's long shadow.

"You're here too, Kurama," said Kuwabara. "Urm, what do you mean by 'they'?"

"One of you is carrying the doll," said an omnipresent voice that had an unnerving way of both sneaking up behind you and still bobbing you in the nose straight on.

Kuwabara recognized the wide-mouthed red-haired Illusion who had drawn faces in the sand and tried to scare them with tarot cards.

"It's one of you again. We're not forking over the doll if that's what you're asking," said Kuwabara, holding his hands together in position to unsheath his spirit sword.

"Not at all, I was observing that you boys like toys. Wouldn't you like another?" Kara smoothed a loose lock of apple hair before stretching out his arm. He unraveled his closed hand, one clawed finger at a time to show a pearly cube with markings on each of its six faces in his palm. "This time, a gift from me."

Kuwabara's natural instinct was to inspect the black cube but the bones in his hands cracked when caution all but halted his breathing.

Rethinking, he instead knelt as far as he could muster without touching the supernatural item. He read as much as he could of the object, the marked surface reflecting his uneasy expression. "Um, what is it? It looks like a die."

"A lucky toy. It will bring you _luck,_ " said Kara.

"Luck huh?" said Hiei.

Kuwabara clapped his hands in praise. "Finally! I was beginning to think Koenma was wrong." He wiped the cool sweat from his forehead, the redness clearing from his complexion. "We could use some luck. Sounds like my kind of toy."

"Wait," Kurama's silky voice near the trees made them pause. "You said luck but didn't specify what kind of luck. Good luck or bad luck?"

Another cool bead of sweat coursed down Kuwabara's jaw as they waited for Kara's answer.

"No fun." Kara blew a long disappointed huff like a balloon drained of air. "I was _hoping_ you wouldn't catch that. Would have been such fun to watch you figure that out the hard way."

"Explain Illusion," said Hiei. "I'm not in the mood for games or lies."

"I do have a name you know," said Kara before sighing. "Well, I wasn't _lying._ It will bring you _luck_ , but it is a game of _chance._ "

Kurama's eyes hadn't left the stark white engraved markings on each face of the cube. "What do the pluses and minuses mean?"

"That is the game. Give it a roll. Plus means a dash of good luck: a correct answer to a puzzle, a good mark on a math test. Minus means a stroke of bad luck: stubbing your toe, forgetting your lunch. Double plus means very good luck: pull a feat you never thought possible. Double minus is a double whammy of bad luck... everything fails, no matter how skilled or how determined you are, you fail. Simple no?"

"Guys, I take it back. It's _not_ my kind of toy. I'll stick with my Neko key chain." Kuwabara palmed his cat charm tightly like prayer beads.

"We don't need superstitious items," said Hiei.

"You don't like it? I thought you would need it for when you deal with the ravaging jealous illusion"

"We can't say no, can we?" asked Kurama

"It would be such a shame for it to go to waste. If you won't use it, I will—" said Kara, slowly closing his hand but Kuwabara caught his fingers.

"Never mind. We'll take it." Kuwabara snatched the cube, gulping.

"How many times can we roll it?" asked Kurama.

"Infinite but you cannot use the next roll to cancel the previous roll. The effect of the roll may not be instant and you'll have to wait," said Kara.

"How will we know when we've finished the roll?" asked Hiei.

"Oh, you'll know."

"Your first visit…it was to give this to us?" said Kurama. "But you changed your mind, is it because your partner followed you?"

"While Guzel would have slapped it out of my hand, Kuvvet was too close," said Kara.

"Kuvvet was there?" said Kurama.

"Not literally," Kara imprinted the point of his nail into his chin as he pondered the right phrase. "Explaining Illusion spacial awareness is another thing in itself. Kuvvet had just left and too much of him was lingering for my taste. Even now he still lingers, but giving it to you now is a risk I am willing to take."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" asked Hiei.

"If you wish to help your friend, you better hurry," said Kara. "I'm feeling charitable. If you wish, I can take you three there now? How does that sound?" His bat heavy lashes over beady yellow eyes.

* * *

Yusuke knew he had some time before school ended and Keiko dashing over to Nagisa's home. Before then, he needed to find Tsubaki and hoped she'd have something useful to tell him before they were all eaten by a giant, hairy jealousy monster. On a whim, guided by his gut, he ran back to the fountains where he last found her. The square smelled of bus exhaust and the throngs of people made it difficult to maneuver but after he escaped the bargain tents, there she sat, twirling her hair.

She stood with little enthusiasm to greet him as if he arrived empty handed and disappointed her.

"Is Kuwabara not joining?"

"He's not supposed ta-know," Yusuke throatily muttered over the rush of the fountains.

Dark green brows rose. "Oh, why not?"

"I don't need him doing something stupid and honorable. Keiko's already involved and I don't need a second person desperate to get eaten by the Jealousy Monster."

"I don't think it's wise to not tell him. You're not making this easy."

Yusuke dragged his lower eyelid and stuck out his tongue to make an ugly face. "Deal with it. You're stuck with me Illusion."

"Kuwabara has the best sight. Besides the Jaganshi. Even Kurama would stand a better chance at seeing than you."

"Sure, you say that, but I've got this trusty Psychic Spy Glass."

She blinked quickly at it and as Yusuke lifted it to peer at her with it, she palmed his hand firmly.

"No matter about that. We're wasting precious time."

"Our first problem: how do we _find_ Nagisa?" asked Yusuke. "I don't even know where the heck she lives!"

"Oh, I'll take us there," she said.

Yusuke sidestepped, avoiding a group of bargain shoppers that cut in front of him. "In front of these people? And aren't you unable to use your...Illusion transport thingy?"

"I can, but with a bad elbow I merely won't enjoy it."

Red flags abound, but Yusuke nodded. "If you say so. Just get us there."

Perfect silence and darkness curtained over them. Yusuke hadn't felt anything as close since he had been dead. For a second, he thought he was dead again or that Tsubaki was taking him back to the underworld. He wouldn't put it past her at that point. Where was Tsubaki, if not right next to him because he couldn't see her.

A burst of light in the distance that beckoned Yusuke like a night moth.

He followed the wordless tug at his sleeve. Simple light burned his eyes in such darkness, what would a whisper from her do in such silence? Each step was met with resistance like he tried to walk underwater on the floor of a pool. As they tore through, Keiko's desperate plea pulled him to the solid world on the other side that was _elsewhere._

* * *

"Nagisa stop!"

Her friend's face, the apple of her cheek, Keiko knew it was a trick, but her left cheek bone began to _twist_ like a tidal pool _._

Despondent and still unresponsive, Keiko could only fathom that Nagisa was either unaware of the corrupting force within her or she had resigned to her fate. She curled up on her bed, seemingly in no pain, but a mere fragment of the sunny girl Keiko knew.

"I don't know anymore Keiko. I don't feel like myself anymore."

As if enticed by her words, the twist worked faster.

Keiko clutched both of her hands, not letting go even as her survival instincts urged her to flee. "You need help. Let me help you." She said, even though Keiko had no idea how to help. But she'd find a way. She had to find a way.

The spirals in her hair screwed tighter.

"Look at me Keiko," said Nagisa, the horrifying turning right under her glassy eyes. "I can't be helped."

Keiko realized in horror the twist in her cheek began to twist inward and swallow more of her face. She yelped when strong arms crossed under her waist and yanked her off Nagisa's bed.

* * *

"Yusuke? Tsubaki Yabu? What are you, how did you—ouch! Put me down you jerk!" She beat her arms and kicked at his restraint.

Ignoring her question, setting his focus on Nagisa now that Keiko was out of her reach, Yusuke motioned his hand into a gun. "Tell me what I'm supposed to do, Tsubaki but I don't want to have to kill anyone!"

"Kill? You're not hurting anyone, Yusuke," cried Keiko, but Tsubaki rolled her eyes, calmer than someone ought to be when a girl's face was twisting before their very eyes.

The Illusion gawked at Yusuke and Keiko, their comments giving her whiplash.

"Why do humans always arrive at the wrong conclusions? This is why human speech is so inefficient—"

"Tsubaki!"

"I should go by Anahtar," she sighed.

"Are you losing your marbles too?" said Yusuke, though unsure if he ever understood her in the first place. How many times had she said Tsubaki was perfectly fine and _why_ was she inserting that mess into the situation when Nagisa's face was blending inward?

"As I was saying, who said _anything_ about kill? Something is going wrong in that head of hers. Shall we peer inside?"

"You're not going to hurt Nagisa," said Keiko, a little shaky on her feet but firm in her convictions.

"This won't hurt her one bit," said the Illusion, taking hold of Yusuke's sleeve and a handful of Nagisa's curled hair. After crack in reality that reminded Yusuke of a plunging roller coaster. He grasped Tsubaki tightly as gravity shifted under him and he thought he'd fall into the sky.

* * *

Yusuke had slight expectations when they tipped into Nagisa's troubled mind. The movies had lied to him. He expected a maze that shifted beneath his feet, a kaleidoscope of colors and shapes, a labyrinth of knowledge. Instead, it was a movie clip Tsubaki had scrolled through in a library and picked, seemingly at random.

He opened his eyes and they were once again, feet firmly on the ground, in the town square at twilight. Keiko, Kuwabara, Nagisa strolling with him. A poke at his side.

The verdette stood a pace behind them, close enough to follow, but not enough to intrude.

Was he supposed to pretend to not know her?

"Tsubaki?" he said over his shoulder. "You weren't here."

"No I wasn't, but we are guests in Nagisa's memory. We are not changing anything. We are _refraining_ from that for now at least. We are only observing. Relax and pretend you're in the theater."

Though in the center of the conversation, mostly between Kuwabara and Keiko, their words were inaudible mumbles. It was like he had to listen with cotton in his ears."Why are they just mumbling?" He stuck a finger into his ear and shook.

"It's background noise to her," she pointed to Nagisa, her curls tucked into a blue yarn hat. "We haven't yet reached the relevant point of the audio. She'll clue us in soon."

Yusuke peered down and noticed he wore his beige winter jacket and Keiko's words puffed with vapory air. Snow on his shoes. There was snow that had been shoveled to the edge of the sidewalk. "Why is this scene so familiar?"

"You're in this scene too."

"Not that! I'm trying to place it in my memory." Winter. First clue. A shop front with an assortment of hearts and chocolates...

"Valentine's Day," he said. He peered down again. The box of chocolate Keiko had given him was open and he had already shoved two pieces into his gob.

Keiko jabbed him in the side and her words finally cleared, taking him off guard. "You know it's rude to eat on the street."

He showed a chocolate smeared smile. "Anyone who is bothered is jealous." He resembled a chipmunk with giant cheeks trying to chew.

Keiko pouted but then turned to Nagisa. "Hey, have you bucked up the courage to hand out your chocolates yet? I keep trying to guess who but you won't tell me."

"Be courageous, Gisa-chan," said Kuwabara. "The lucky guy will be more than happy to get them from you."

Nagisa's face turned redder than the Valentine hearts hanging in the gift shops.

"I appreciate the encouragement. I've never confessed to this sort of thing before."

Yusuke murmured over Tsubaki's ear. "I can't hear what she's thinking but I feel it? She's about to get her chocolates out of her bag."

She nodded and sure enough, Nagisa took off her bag from her shoulder and took out a neatly wrapped gold box with a pink ribbon with her mitten hands.

She didn't say it but Yusuke could feel her exhaustion from plugging the previous night away, figuring out the perfect words to write in her letter, confessing her delicate heart to him.

"I'm not so lucky, Gisa-chan," said Kuwabara, sadness laced in his tone.

Keiko and Yusuke's banter disappeared. The whole world it seemed disappeared except for Nagisa and Kuwabara. She was steeling herself, Yusuke noticed, while recovering from the unexpected words from Kuwabara.

"I won't get to see my beloved this Valentines' day," said Kuwabara. He ran his hand through his jelly-roll hair with a snort of a laugh, masking his own sadness. "And erm, she's not the type to give me chocolates, any hoot. Different culture thing, if you catch my drift."

Yusuke felt his own heart sink with hers. He knew about Yukina and yet Nagisa's hope to be loved and to share her feelings stirred within him as if they were his own wishes.

"I don't know what the options are, but no matter what, I can't hurt Nagisa," said Yusuke, in his calm tone that was in many ways more affirmative than his shouts.

Tsubaki looked strangely under-dressed in the cold in just her spring uniform. "There is _something_ we can do that I've already mentioned."

Yusuke vividly remembered Tsubaki's 'pretend we're in the theater comment' from the overly dramatic swoosh of her arm to cover her eyes. "But I warn you, it is dangerous."

He shuddered at the thought and cold, hoping he was wrong. "Her memory, right? You want us to screw with her memory."

The excited twinkle in her eyes agitated him. Like a manic doctor sharpening her scalpels, bouncing with excitement to perform high-risk invasive surgery. "Correct. I didn't have to repeat myself. Your memory is better than the fox."

"Which means we'll definitely need Kuwabara," said Yusuke before stretching his clammy palm over his face cartoonishly.

"Good thing though, the party came to us," she said with such an even tone Yusuke wondered if she were only pulling his leg.

"What do you mean by that?"

The scene faded, like a vacuum sucking Yusuke out of his own head.

They were no longer in Nagisa's room but outside her shut bedroom door. Her school pictured decorated the wall before them. The hall was populated with three additional shadows.

"How in the world did you guys find us?" asked Yusuke.

Kuwabara groused, before marching over, yanking Yusuke off his feet by the collar. "Alright, you punk, you've been keeping something from me and now spill before I beat your face into your throat!"

* * *

Kuwabara absentmindedly scratched his cheek as Yusuke and Tsubaki told him. "Wow, really? Nagisa _like_ ME? I had no idea she felt that way. For how long?"

"Beats me," said Yusuke. "I don't have a time line but at least since before Valentine's Day."

"Wow," awed Kuwabara.

Yusuke explained what Tsubaki told him, what they saw in her memory, the intentions that weighed heavy on her heart.

"Wow, I seriously had zero clue," said Kuwabara.

"That's a reoccurring theme with you," said Hiei.

"Shove it, short cake," said Kuwabara.

"So Tsubaki, you were telling us to tinker with the poor girl's mind," said Kurama.

"Did you have a nice trip to Spirit World? You weren't gone long," she said.

"What the heck were you doing in Spirit World?" asked Yusuke.

"That I will explain later. Now we must deal with the girl," said Kurama.

"Mind-tinkering is frowned upon. Even among Illusions. It can fry a mind without the right measures set in place. However, there is a reason why I chose that particular memory, Urameshi."

"Why?"

"We should bring Keiko out here because she's needed for this too."

Yusuke grabbed the doorknob, saying he'd be the one to do it. Instead of dragging her away that time, he explained that they and he needed her to help Nagisa. She followed him calmly outside, giving a worrying glance to Nagisa. The twirling in her face had expanded to her whole left cheek but the inward turn had slowed thankfully.

"That memory is perfect," said the Illusion. "It is a paramount memory to her. A downturn point. And what luck? All four of you who were present in the memory is here right now."

"Luck indeed," muttered Hiei.

"Oh, you mean me too. I was also there that day," said Keiko. "I remember Valentine's Day. Come to think of it, everything Tsubaki-san has mentioned makes 100% sense. I just didn't figure it out before. Poor Nagisa. I wish she had told me about her feelings. She had worked so hard on her chocolates."

"What am I supposed to do?" asked Kuwabara. "I'm not exactly single and I can't betray Yukina."

Hiei clicked his teeth.

"You don't have to betray anyone, Kuwabara," said Tsubaki. "We are tinkering with the memory. And I have a plan that will require participation from all four of you."

"Tsubaki, what is the worst that can happen?" asked Kuwabara.

"Do you really want to know? It's like peering down from a great height before crossing a bridge. Do you need the extra nerves?"

"Tell us, Yabu," said Keiko. "We're not hurting Nagisa, right?"

The Illusion's downward glance at the carpet filled Yusuke with unease.

"Well, think of it this way: your mind is a fabric. Some are more strongly woven than others but any tiny snip can compromise the whole fabric's integrity. We are making a tiny snip and attempting to sew it together again. If done well, no harm. If done poorly…"

All five heard the distinct sound of fabric tearing into two.

"There's a reason why mind-tinkering is so frowned upon. You call it dementia I believe. We call it Delu feasting on the scraps of our minds. Neither are pleasant. But if we do nothing, Nagisa's mind will get devoured by a jealousy monster."

"You have…done this before right, Tsubaki?" asked Kuwabara.

"Plenty," she said.

"Aren't we lucky to have an Illusion with a dodgy past?" asked Kurama, glancing down at Hiei.

"We'll see about that," said Hiei.

"Hiei, Kurama, you are free to tag along. You'll never see something like this ever again, I promise," she said.

"We rolled our way in here. Might as well join," Kurama said.

They delved into Nagisa's mind and the familiar snowy February day appeared like time rewound on the clock.

"What will you do, Tsubaki?" asked Yusuke.

"Remember when Koenma told you how Illusions can influence urges in others? I'm going to get her to confess," she said.

"But she'll be rejected. How will you coax her then?" asked Yusuke

"I'm not. I have one job. Give her the urge to confess. Er actually she's already dying to confess but she feels obligated to hide it. I just need to fill that cup to the brim and overflow it. But she'll do something she's wanted to do for a long time. Kuwabara has the responsibility of reacting in a sensible, respectful way."

"I'm not liking this plan. Do we really have to change her memory?" asked Kuwabara.

"Why not?" asked Tsubaki. "What is the risk if you are all here? She never told anyone about that day and her disappointment. Why is it a bad thing if we tweak it? No harm. No foul."

"So I hear her confession and let her down easy," said Kuwabara, a little shaky and not from the cold.

"If you can muster it..." she said.

"I never knew about Nagisa's feelings. She's a lovely person and I can't even remember what I said to her..." said Kuwabara.

"That 'the lucky guy will be more than happy to get her chocolates'," said the Illusion in eerie mimicry of Kuwabara's voice.

"It really creeps me out when you do that," said Kuwabara.

"I wasn't lying then and... I won't lie now. I'll do it," she said.

"Are you sure? Won't this tinker with our minds too?" asked Keiko.

"It would be good if you continued to play along in the future," said the Illusion.

"So we're changing the past?" asked Kuwabara.

She laughed. "Oh Goz no! I don't have that kind of power. No Illusion does. We are adjusting her memory and for the rest of time you'll have to remember should she ever verbalize it aloud."

"The three of us will have to do it for Nagisa," said Keiko.

"Right," said Tsubaki.

"I'll do it," said Keiko after a moment.

"I will too," affirmed Kuwabara.

"This is risky," said Kurama.

"Ya think? But at least all we have to do is watch," said Hiei.

"We stay silent?"

"Just observe and you'll be fine."

The scene began and Yusuke felt he had been thrust onto a stage with a live audience. Keiko gazed around them, awing in disbelief but with a nudge on her arm, she focused on her conversation with Nagisa. She reenacted her chipper mood from that Valentine's Day with remarkable skill, like a professional actress gliding into her role.

"Quick what do I say Urameshi?" said a sickly blue Kuwabara.

"You ask this _now_?" said Yusuke. "Tsubaki, can you hit pause on this memory wash? Romeo here doesn't have a script."

"No! I'll be fine. I've just...never had to let a woman down easy before. And I don't wanna hurt Gisa-chan's feelings."

"Man..."

"What happens if it fails the first time?" asked Hiei.

"I don't think we're going to get multiple chances," said Kurama.

"Now I'm not sure about this at all. Won't getting dumped make it _worse_?" asked Yusuke.

Keiko crossed her arms. "If Kuwabara lets her down gently and I can comfort her and we can work through it together."

"I'm missing something here," said Yusuke. "Why would getting dumped help?"

"She's not getting dumped Yusuke," said Keiko, crossing her arms. "Kuwabara is going to be sensitive to her feelings and what do you know about women anyway?"

"You don't have to do anything Kuwabara," said the Illusion as if that would help relax him. "She'll come to you. She feels energized by my nudging and your call for her to be 'courageous'. This is going to write itself."

A car zipped so fast on Yusuke's side, behind the road barrier, he wondered, even in a memory, could he be injured?

"Kuwa-kun," Nagisa said finally, with gusto but seemed to shrink when the orange-haired boy turned to her.

Keiko caught Yusuke's arm, pressing her finger to her lips for him to pipe down.

"Do you have a moment?" asked Nagisa. "I would like to speak with you."

"Of course, Gisa-chan," said Kuwabara.

Watching from a distance, the scene appeared to shift to warm romantic colors like a theatrical scene manipulated by lighting fixtures.

Nagisa timidly professed her feelings for the boy. How she had admired his vivacious, loyal spirit from afar.

The colors intensified as Kuwabara swelled in happiness. He remembered his beloved Yukina and felt he understood every other person in existence who ever had been in love.

"Gisa-chan...thank you for telling me your genuine feelings. I didn't realize you had felt that way for so long and I'm sorry if I ever acted insensitively. I regret to say that I do not feel the same but...I'm happy and humbled to have heard your feelings from you." Kuwabara, strangely gallant in his stance (where were the flower petals coming from? Keiko mumbled and Yusuke shrugged) as he answered Nagisa's confession.

Yusuke calmed at how Kuwabara handled it but the stabbing pain of sadness from Nagisa felt like a car that veered off course. Crap, wasn't she supposed to be feeling better?

"I understand Kuwa-kun. I know there is someone else and that it is selfish of me to say this to you-"

"Crap, that's bad," murmured Yusuke.

"Kuwabara has to clear up those guilty emotions but I can't intervene. It's in his hands now," said the Illusion.

Kuwabara set a gentle hand on Nagisa's shoulder, so she would peer up.

"I understand you Gisa-chan. 100% and I don't believe you're selfish. I know you respect my feelings and if sharing your feelings brings you peace, I'm glad you came forward and confessed."

Nagisa's eyes watered but she smiled. Even with her feelings still unrequited, Yusuke felt the world lift off her shoulders.

The sun's reassuring light broke through the barrier of clouds, like Mother Nature smiled on them. Yusuke wondered between the swirling flower petals and the sun that hadn't been in the bitterly cold original scene, how much more was Tsubaki manipulating? Nonetheless, he unzipped his jacket, ready to return to the real world with spring warmth.

"What now?" Yusuke asked.

"She's given up," said Keiko, taking the words from the Illusion's mouth. "But she's okay. I know she's going to be okay."

"Then we can leave," said the Illusion and the scene shifted once more.

* * *

"I'm just here to drop off your homework. You must have been so sick. Did you sleep all day?" Keiko rubbed Nagisa's forehead. "Phew! Your fever broke. How do you feel?"

"Much better than yesterday. Thanks for swinging by Keiko," said Nagisa, stretching with a groggy yawn. Her face had returned to its normal shape. Keiko had asked to linger in the room while the others supervised from a crack in the door in the hall. "I dreamed a lot. I thought of Valentine's day again."

Keiko held her breath. "Oh, what about it?"

"I never told you, did I? Kuwabara-kun is a gentleman so word never got around."

Keiko hopped on the bed, hugging a pillow against her stomach. "Do tell."

"Keiko is a pro at this," said the Illusion, nudging Yusuke.

Kuwabara shut the door finally.

* * *

The Illusion took them back to the fountains, probably her favorite place, Yusuke noted. He wiped the sweat from his skin, the gentle spray from the fountains soothing to him. Changing temperatures so drastically in short spurts had worn him out.

Night had fallen. The tents in the square had been deconstructed down to their metal bones, to be reconstructed in the morning for Saturday business.

"Besides some wobbles, that was a job well-done right?" asked Kuwabara who hadn't shed his heavy expression of guilt since they left Nagisa's memories. "Tsubaki, will Nagisa be fine?"

"You did better than any Illusion could have hoped," she said. "Keiko is providing excellent post-operation recovery. If she reinforces the memory, Nagisa will recover perfectly."

"You can check later right?" asked Kuwabara.

She paused. "Oh…of course I can."

Hiei cleared his throat.

"I'm aware you two are tired, but there is one more thing to address," said Kurama.

"Does this have to do with Spirit World?" she asked.

"You can say that it does," he said. "Which is why I'm glad you brought us here to the reflective surface."

She narrowed her eyes at the two demons. "Am I taking everyone somewhere? To Spirit World?" she guessed, glancing to Kuwabara and Yusuke. Her oppressive mind-reading grabbed at the front of Yusuke's head.

"Don't ask me," said Yusuke. "Ask them."

"If you're hiding something, out with it," she said firmly yet stretched the space between herself and four by one pace.

"Anahtar, please," said Kurama. He held out his hand for her to grasp. "You can see for yourself what my intentions are."

She took one cautious step forward and set the tips of her fingers on Kurama's palm, ready to read his mind.

Yusuke only had enough time to see her pupils shrink. He saw it, as he was sure they all saw it, but before she could leap away, a magenta flash of Kurama's other sleeve, the makeshift vine blade wrapped around Kurama's hand impaled her in the stomach.

* * *

Two chapters in one week! I told you I had good energy from California.

A bit of a bad note to end a chapter, no? I've been trying to drop mad hints here and there throughout this mini arc so I've been trying to strike that balance of throwing just enough hints, but not being too obvious because I trust y'all to get it. It's your last chance to guess what Kurama knows before finding out the next chapter. This chapter was quite fun for me and I got to explore more of mind play, or more Illusion abilities, a dangerous one. Kurama wiped people's memories simply with plants, but for the Illusions it's a contentious issue. Mind play and its negative consequences will show up again down the road and be a critical component of the next arc. By the way, there's gonna be a next big arc after the main conflict here is done and dusted...

I can imagine Kuwabara being sweet when letting down an admirer. Confessing is so nerve-wracking and I think Kuwabara improv'd his lines swimmingly. I know there are more popular members of the four, but I feel he's the most empathetic and that's dashing to have in a love-interest, no? Hope it was a good one and that wraps up Nagisa's arc and we can push forward to the final turn of 'this' arc. Thank you for reading!


	17. Rule of Three

"Ku-Kurama!" Yusuke exclaimed. "What the hell?!"

The Illusion's mouth waggled with soundless screams.

Hiei threw his sword up, halting the human boys from lurching forward to intervene. "Hold it," he warned.

"You're in on this too, Hiei?!" cried Kuwabara. "I thought we weren't hurting anyone!"

"Move another inch and I'll hurt _you,_ _"_ said Hiei, baring fangs. Then he said more calmly. "Just wait a moment."

The Illusion bent her neck with difficulty down at her school uniform, the creamy sweater, and the bundle of thorny vines poking from skin through flesh and through skin. "Is it my luck or was it intentional that you missed my vitals?"

Kurama withdrew the vine blade, the vines creeping one by one up his sleeve.

"You almost fooled me," said Kurama, so softly Kuwabara had to hold his breath to hear. "A perfect copy. The envy of a mirror image. You matched her mannerisms and her routine, except for one thing: you missed the honey."

All eyes narrowed. What did Kurama mean by that?

"Is it just me or shouldn't that wound be a blood fountain?" Kuwabara sucked in his stomach around Hiei's blade, trying to lean forward for a better look without slicing himself.

A hole through her stomach and there was a distinct and disquieting lack of blood. Kurama's hit would have guaranteed a mortal wound, for a human.

The Illusion, weakened, doubled forward. Kuwabara was about to shove Hiei aside. Maybe he could outrun him if he tried, probably not, but he had to do something— A crackle, pop. Tsubaki's body _flickered_ like a tv picture affected by interference. Kuwabara was reminded of a video game character, flashing lines on a simple graphic body to signal a transformation.

Long green hair kinked and shrank as if pulled back into her skull before twisting and changing color from dark to blue. Her medium height body molded like clay, stretching taller over Kurama's height even while hunched over in pain. On her cheek, right on the apple, a scar marred the bare skin.

"Wait-" Kuwabara rubbed his eyes. He pointed a shaky stubby finger at the Illusion he had known transform into the other Illusion. "You... you're not Tsubaki!"

"Gunah," said Kurama.

The Illusion twitched, lifting his head at the name he despised with an undying passion.

An air bubble in the fountain behind Kuwabara who squealed like a pig. A nimble hand grasped the fountain's edge.

* * *

Tsubaki punched through the barrier with enough force to shatter diamonds. The watery surface yielded like jelly to her touch, as it always should but hadn't. The boys saw her tumble over, gasping for air as if she had been trapped under water.

Last time, she had been near the river and was trapped by Gunah when she had tried to flee. He had wanted her to flee by the river, clearly. When she had gone to her home, she couldn't break through, the normally yielding surfaces hard and unrelenting no matter how hard she pushed.

It had been near midnight before and now the moon was rising. It had been at least one whole day, maybe more. No more than three, otherwise she'd be dead.

In the vacuum, she had lingered in an absence of light and sound. Occasionally, she could peer into the human world and watch like a silent film. How Gunah had spirited away her best friend, how he conversed with her mother, how he seamlessly lived her day and Spirit World's chosen four were seemingly none the wiser that a switch had been made...

Suddenly the abyss rippled, ready to cave in on itself. A sliver of an opening, light at the end, and she grabbed it with all her might.

She was in the square again, near the fountains, near her favorite cafe. The smog, the cigarette butts, piss stained urban stench never smelled so divine. She breathed in a lung-full. "FI-nally."

"Ok, can someone please explain what is going on here?" Kuwabara said.

Yusuke caught her and helped her out. She wobbled on the cobbled path like baby newly learning how to move its legs. The fountain sprayed her hair but the cooling sensation felt AMAZING against her dehydrated human skin.

Cradling her stinging elbow while Yusuke secured her by wrapping her other arm around his shoulders, she took in the view of Gunah doubled over with a delicious eye after wishing to inflict injury upon him for the hell she had endured. His cry and her unstable surroundings signaled that Gunah had been injured and if there was a moment to take advantage of the compromised lock on her, that was it.

The hole straight through his abdomen. If only it had been by her hand and not the Fox. However, having the second shot at Gunah instead of the first was a small price to pay for freedom.

Yusuke held her back when she tried to lunge after Gunah's fading afterimage. The last fragments of him disappeared in the uncaring wind.

Silence rained. Hiei withdrew his sword.

"Ok, now can someone explain what is going on?" asked Kuwabara. "If I replay the last two minutes-two Tsubakis, one in the fountain, one we tweaked Gisa's mind with, the second or was it the first had been Kuvvet or Gunah, who the hell was Gunah?-oh fudge it."

"Isn't it obvious?" Hiei sneered. "The Illusion you allied with during the whole ordeal has been exposed as an impostor."

"What ordeal? What day is it?" asked Tsubaki, rubbing her temples. Dehydration was hitting her big time and exposure to the open air somehow made it all worse.

In hindsight attacking Gunah in such a spent state could have been a suicide mission when she couldn't even hold her own against any of the four who speculatively surrounded her.

"So how do we know if we can trust this one?" asked Kuwabara.

"That's a good question actually," said Hiei.

"Well this is the right Tsubaki," said Kurama. "That said…please Yusuke."

"Yusuke what?" said Tsubaki before seeing Yusuke's hand glow vibrantly with spirit energy. He slapped braces on both her wrists. Spirit handcuffs.

"Wait, why am _I_ the one being arrested?" said Tsubaki with energy that surprised even herself.

"Can you stand on your own or do you need help?" asked Kurama, gesturing to hold her up by her elbow but she whipped her hair, telling him to buzz off.

Spirit World, those words were distinct in Kurama's deliberately fleeting thoughts.

Not. Spirit World. Anywhere but Spirit World.

The cuffs burned, a band of fire circled around her wrist, as if triggered by her mere thoughts of escape.

"Look, if you insist on arresting me, I demand sustenance," she said, trying her luck.

The surrounding four peered at one another and she didn't have to be able to read minds to feel their confusion at her bold request.

"You're not in the position to make demands, Illusion," said Hiei, nudging her forward by the hilt of his sword.

"Well, I've been stuck in limbo for a whole day," said Tsubaki, her voice raspy from her dry throat. "I'm dying of thirst and the last thing I ate was rum cake that poisoned me."

"So you were trapped in that limbo space for a whole day?" asked Kuwabara.

"You haven't been there yet, have you Kuwabara?" asked Tsubaki.

Kurama cleared his throat. "He has. Kara took us here."

Kuwabara's beady eyes shrank to the width of pin needles. "There? You were stuck _there?_ " he said, expressing the exasperation she felt. "Guys…I mean…come on. A quick snack and a glass of water can't hurt."

"You can't be serious," said Hiei.

Yusuke flapped his lips. "I'm…kinda thirsty too."

* * *

They returned to the _Short Ichigo Cafe._ Tsubaki pictured sitting with two demons and two ruffian humans and the odd looks they might get in a packed cafe. There were odd looks from the waitress who regularly saw her with Mikata but only two other tables were preoccupied. A college student nursing a coffee, too enveloped in her book to glance up and a businessman winding down with chicken salad, peering longingly out the window.

Tsubaki thought it odd herself. At least Kurama, Urameshi, and Kuwabara somewhat blended into their human surroundings. Hiei with his white streaks, red eyes, cloak and headscarf stood out like a thumb smashed by a hammer. She didn't utter a word but as soon as her food arrived (she had ordered half the menu) she was too busying stuffing her gob to care.

The waitress had changed their water pitcher twice so far. Because of the short arm-span allowed by her cuffs, Tsubaki gripped her glass with two hands, downing the whole glass again. The tap water tasted like nectar from the gods.

"Would you like anything else?" asked Kurama. "More rum cake?"

Tsubaki withheld a groan but managed to chuckle with the glass still on her lips.

"So you were trapped, you said?" asked Kuwabara, after she had moved onto one of the many plates of deserts at their table.

Tsubaki nodded, her mouth too full with nearly a whole slice of strawberry short cake. With a heavy swallow, a triangle of cake squeezing down her throat, she began to explain. How Gunah had found her, how they argued, and when she tried to flee and she at first thought she was safe, she couldn't get out of limbo. She could only peer like a one-way glass and saw Gunah, wearing her form like a change of clothes. More precisely, it was someone walking into her closet and taking her clothes and then her name.

"You couldn't get out?" asked Kuwabara.

She shook her head. "It was scary. I had to wait for Gunah to be weakened and then the bars of my jail cell could jiggle wide enough to let me through. Waiting for you boys to figure it out was the worst part."

"Yeah...about that..." said Yusuke, peering away from her accusation. "So Kurama, what compelled to slice Tsubaki in the gut? I mean, besides how the rest of us probably have thought to do the same at some point."

"I too want to know," said Tsubaki with a mouth-full of the best cake ever made in history. "What was the particular trigger?"

"Your scent," he said. Over the days I've met you I noticed a pattern of three scents: honey, elderberry, and sandalwood. Three very different scents, used in different strengths depending on the day. Gunah had missed one. You instigated that pattern, didn't you? That was why you always made it a point to stand close so I could decipher your scent and its pattern."

"I did it on purpose. You're right," she said.

"So that means you conceived of Gunah doing this," said Kurama.

"He is a very skilled shape-shifter and he loves to show-off," she said. "I wasn't certain, but I knew he had shape-shifting in his arsenal. An Illusion would know immediately. A pair of humans and demons would not."

"When did you first notice?" she asked.

"Earlier in the day. Before I went to Spirit World."

Hours ago. Though Tsubaki didn't utter those words aloud, they must have read clearly on her features.

"I wish I could say it was my trying to decipher Gunah's motivations but rather it was caution and uncertainty," Kurama admitted. "He did a rather excellent job of impersonating you, save for the incriminating details."

"I'm glad my efforts didn't go to waste," said Tsubaki. "Otherwise, I'd still be trapped in that realm."

"So Gunah, who was definitely not-you earlier, was the one who trapped you in there," said Kuwabara.

"Gunah trapped me and my power in that realm. Kurama took a day to figure it out. What about the rest of you?"

"What about us?" asked Yusuke, crossing his arms defensively.

"Pay attention. I made sure all four of you had one detail you could suspect. Hiei?"

Innocuous piano music played in the background while Hiei stared at them blankly, leaving the four wondering if he were going to grace them with an answer.

"Your arm injury. I thought it strange that you made a 'full recovery' after our last battle. After making it supremely clear that you were in great pain. But what could I care?" said Hiei.

The student in a table adjacent to theirs glanced up from her book. Tsubaki heard the outpour of her thoughts about Hiei and how _cool and mysterious_ he looked leaning back in his chair, throwing in a rebellious 'but what do I care?'

One pleasant aspect of being trapped in limbo space, that she took for granted, was the total absence of stray thoughts from those around her. For a whole day, the mail inbox was closed.

"Nothing else Hiei?" Tsubaki asked. "If you had opened your Jagan eye you would have known immediately."

Feeling prompted, Yusuke hummed to ponder. "Is that why Gunah slapped my hand when I said I had the Psychic Spyglass? Would I have seen?"

Tsubaki groused. "And after I told you to hold onto it. Did you notice anything?"

"Can't I say I put A and B together. Any weirdness I passed off as you being extra weird given the circumstances. Far be it for me to call you out when you're carving up Nagisa's memory like a gutting a fish."

Tsubaki almost choked on a piece of strawberry. "Gunah did _what_?"

"He did say it was dangerous. Would you have done a mind-alteration if you had been present?"

Tsubaki put down her spoon to think about it. "That would have been the _last_ measure I would have taken. Messing with someone's mind and memories is _not a joke._ But did it go well?"

"I think so. It seemed to go fine but we have to pretend for the rest of eternity that her new recollection is what actually happened," said Yusuke.

"Is there any way you can check Gisa-chan to be sure?" asked Kuwabara.

Tsubaki counted nine inches of space allowed between each cuff. That and her exhaustion (which side was more spent? her human body or her overworked Illusion self?) would make a diagnostic on Nagisa's mind a tiresome and difficult job. Someone had to do it though.

"I suppose I must. One good thing about Gunah is that he is more skilled than most about tweaking someone's mind. Better than I ever was at least," said Tsubaki. "What about you, Kuwabara? Did you notice anything off while I was stuck in lala-land?"

"To be honest, I noticed your clear bracelet was missing," Kuwabara said curtly.

Ah yes her bracelet. It sat under Yusuke's cuff. The one she saved as a full power trump card yet after endless hours in the abyss with no end in sight, she nearly snapped it thrice to save her life.

The four looked to Kuwabara. Of course, he'd miss her intentional hints but caught Gunah's single yet simple aesthetic mistake that no one else had noticed.

"Your illusions were different too." Now put on the spot Kuwabara embellished. "Like an artist trying to mimic some else's style ya know?"

So they all had noticed something in some form but weren't 100% certain, or in Hiei's case hadn't been inclined to act. The possibility of any of the four realizing there was an impostor on the loose but not caring had been her grave mistake.

"Why go through all the trouble to mimic you?" asked Hiei.

Why? She had hours to ponder that very question.

"He wanted to punish me. Either he wanted to mimic me to get Kurama to use his plant or one of you to hit the doll and put an end to my 'human' madness. All because he hates the idea of doing it himself."

"Where is he now you think?" asked Urameshi, picking up one of the spare spoons to help himself to one of the many cake dishes Tsubaki hadn't yet touched.

"Licking his wounds. Kurama's hit ought to put him out for a little while. Gives me some time to think." She sank into her chair, uncomfortably bloated and full. "Oh, that's right. Now I can't finish that essay and give it to my mentor."

"Tsubaki, do you have to hurt people?" said Kurama, the question evidently in the back of his mind for a long time.

"Excuse me?"

"Let me ask more precisely. I'm referring to your existence in the human world, among humans. You do not have to hurt anyone with your illusions, do you?"

"No, my illusions do not inherently hurt people. Jealousy, my affinity, is natural. From what I saw in your heads, the spirals in Nagisa Amemiya's situation is an illusion gone haywire," she said. " _That_ kind of jealousy is not natural."

"Will there be more?"

"Without a shadow of a doubt," said Tsubaki, with a tired sigh. "I think something is going wrong up there."

"With the Illusions?"

She nodded. "Can I do two things before we go?"

"Out with it," said Hiei.

"I need to check Nagisa's condition. Gunah probably did a good job, but I want to check myself. Second, I want to see my mom and then I'll go calmly to Spirit World."

No one spoke. Just the soft piano and the tinkering of a teacup to its plate.

Kurama answered finally. "The truth is, we _can_ _'t_ send you back. You're a human. 100% or 1/100 human, no matter the ratio, we can't extradite you. At most you'll go to Spirit World, but that would be a waste."

"A waste?" Tsubaki parroted.

"Hold a sec," Yusuke said. His fingertip aglow, he made a turning motion at each of her wrists. The cuffs fell off. No clang as two open cuffs hit the table, but the items made of spirit energy fizzled into nothing. She grasped her cooling skin. If she really wanted to…she could run. She'd need one hell of a distraction, but she could run.

"All of you are here. I can find the doll on one of you, heal my arm and become even stronger."

"Yeah, you could try that," said Urameshi, not taking the bait of her threat. "For now, we are keeping it safe so you don't have to worry about it going to no one. Not Spirit World or the other Illusions."

"But, Kurama, in your thoughts, you clearly mentioned Spirit World."

"I thought _about_ Spirit World, but I don't recall actually uttering that you were going there."

"But why cuff me?"

"A bit of caution, to confirm that it really was you," Kurama said curtly. A little too curtly for Tsubaki's liking as if he cut off more of what he had to say. _Is that really all, Kurama? What are you hiding about Spirit World?_

She drummed her fingers against the table from the unspent energy building inside. All the sugar and caffeine she practically inhaled was _not_ helping her keep calm. "After _all the_ flytrap plants, ambushing me, the frost monster, after _everything_ you're letting me go?"

"That is the point. You're not leaving the human world so you're not going anywhere," said Kurama. We need someone here to help with the illusions possessing humans and Gunah, after his trickery, can't be trusted. You lived here for a decade and a half without issue, so there's no problem with letting you live out the rest of your human life. Then you can naturally return to the Illusions. No force from our end, from the Illusions or Spirit World."

Pregnant silence. Tsubaki wanted to ask her questions. It felt too good to be true. There was a catch, a condition, or it was a trick.

"Is that it? Spirit World leaves me alone? I just go and live?"

"You will still need to correspond with Spirit World. Koenma thinks diplomatic relations are in order and a thawing process can begin between the two realms."

Tsubaki withheld a doubtful face. Had they been listening to her at all? Gunah was still out there and he wanted to release the Witch. She was still Anahtar and it was her duty, punishment to make sure the witch, Jadde, the one who glowed better than all the rest, was never released.

"I acknowledge your situation is far from over," said Kurama. She wondered for a moment if she really had withheld her doubt. "I am speaking long term. Your values. Will you be on the human world's side? Not Spirit World, but for the home of your mother and friends?"

"And if I am?" she asked.

"Then you're free. Free to live the rest of your human life as long as you don't cause trouble," said Kurama. "Go ahead and ask. I know you have more questions."

"No, I mean, yes I have plenty," said Tsubaki, picking up her spoon again to dig into whipped topping of her cake though she was no longer hungry. She sensed something more. Kurama had something to tell her that he was withholding. Even as an Illusion, she didn't skim his head to find out. "But I know this is a merciful release on your behalf. And despite what Mikata and my mother might tell you, I _do_ know when I need to keep my mouth shut."

"Do you accept?"

"Keeping in mind that at any given time I may wish to return to the Illusions…" she said but nodded. "Yes, I accept those parameters."

* * *

Trying to write that switch was hard. I wanted to give obvious hints but not make it TOO obvious so when I kept saying 'the Illusion' instead of Tsubaki that's my explanation. It's why I always mentioned Kurama picking up her three scents so that maybe you'd notice a pattern of three and notice when one was missing that *something* is off. Gunah did know her routine but he didn't realize the pattern involved and could make a mistake. I hope that makes sense. In the first draft I was tempted to Gunah portray her personality too over the top, but since he knows her well, he should know better than to act so blatantly *not* her.

A third chapter, in less than a week WHAT?! As a notoriously slow updater, that's a first for me. We are entering the final third of this big arc and I am doing my best to make sure the story promises I've made are paid off. The final third of this arc, keep in mind, there is still pairing to sort through and plot lines that are introduced in this arc that will carry over into the next one. Thank you so much Yileen for the comments since the last update :D Referring to your 'pie crust' comment, I think you can tell I have the most cheesy fun writing Kuwabara's lines. Cheers! I hope to update again by the end of this week.


	18. Same Thread

"That lady fancies you, Hiei," said Tsubaki, nudging her chin at the student who was walking to the bathroom. After she accepted the parameters of Kurama's offer, seriousness lingered in the air. However, the girl's yearning stares and her intrusive thoughts made it impossible for Tsubaki not to comment on it.

Hiei, who Tsubaki couldn't easily imagine ever being blindsided, blinked his suddenly wide eyes twice, a wrench thrown into the gears in his all too serious head.

Kuwabara caught himself at the edge of the table, causing Tsubaki's utensils to rattle. "What? Wait. _Her?_ Him? She's too cute to be interested in ugly gruff-face over there."

"You're a little jealous, Kuwabara," murmured Tsubaki.

"So not jealous, just surprised."

"Speaking of surprises, didn't you find out a few hours ago that cutie Amemiya fancied you?" asked Yusuke, also sneaking a peek at the girl.

Tsubaki was impressed, Hiei's iron-will didn't permit him even the tiniest glance behind him.

"And Gisa-chan is a wonderful, cute girl with great taste," said Kuwabara. "Apples and oranges. Tsubaki would have been handy to have around in junior high."

If Tsubaki had the chance (had she not been trapped in a shapeless black hole) she would have brought up that Kuwabara had once upon a time, carried a flame for her. The crush had fizzled out as quickly as it sparked, maybe even Kuwabara couldn't remember, it had been so long. And the mental image had been clear in his mind: the boy before he hit a growth spurt, an immature voice that often squeaked had fancied the cute girl whom he thought could _never_ fancy him and his imperfect self.

"Didn't you just say that you would keep your mouth shut, Illusion?" said Hiei, a warning gushing in his words.

"Don't be offended," said Kurama. "He hasn't learned yet of your habit of uttering every candid thing that pops into your head."

 _What are you, my mom?_ Tsubaki read the clock on the wall. 21:03. Not late by her standards but her internal clock was pushing nearly fifty hours into one day.

"Is it too much for me to ask _when the hell you_ _'re going to take out this plant?_ " Tsubaki dragged up her sleeve, showing her forearm.

"It stays for now," said Kurama with no hint of an apology. If only Mikata, her mother, Esumi and all everyone at Aojo and Meiou knew that the impeccable Shuichi Minamino was the type of gentlemen who would insert a vine plant of death under her skin. When they took off the cuffs, she naturally hoped Kurama would take out the plant.

Her elbow still hurt from dark aura and the plant fed on it, a bottomless pit apparently. In limbo, the gentle nudges of the plant helped root her mentally. In dire moments when her body didn't feel real, the plant would affirm its and her existence. When Kurama injured Gunah, the plant shook so hard it all but slapped her foggy mind awake, a sign to save herself.

The plant sucked on the dark aura and took the edge off the persistent pain in her elbow. _Fine, plant, for now, you can stay._

Tsubaki stood, apparently a little too suddenly for the boys' taste all four paused, watchful on her. Hiei's admirer returned from the bathroom, trying to hide her stares as she opened her book and peered over the top. Hiei stiffened, his hair somehow straighter to match his stiffness, feeling her eyes boring into his spikes.

"I'm going home," she said before giving her spoon one last lick.

"Do you feel safe to go home? Since Gunah is still out there," asked Kurama.

"Safer now, to be honest. He's gone and alienated his allies. He's gone back to rethink," she said. True, she felt safer from Gunah but she worried they could easily change their minds and cuff her again. In a wonderful heel turn, Gunah had made them more sympathetic to her.

She paid the full bill, faster than Kuwabara who was ready to leap to his feet and snatch the bill from her hands, and rushed out of the cafe.

* * *

The four stared at the empty fifth chair. The opportunity to cuff her, send her to Koenma and dust their hands of the situation lay abandoned.

"With that, we let her go," said Hiei. "You're lucky I trust your judgment, Kurama."

"And _you_ got annoyed with _me_ when all I wanted was to get her a drink of water," said Kuwabara, crossing his arms with a righteous sniff.

"She kept bringing up something happening in Spirit World and not-Tsubaki…" Yusuke paused his brain still wrapping around the fact that the girl he met by the fountains _wasn_ _'t_ actually her. "If I'm not mixing it up, not-Tsubaki said you just got back from Spirit World. Did something happen that pushed this decision?"

"A revelation of sorts. I'm still coming to terms with it. It's something Tsubaki has been urging me to figure out since day one."

"That's all of us though," said Yusuke.

"I can affirm that it _is_ something particular to me," said Kurama.

"What could you possibly have to do with them?" asked Yusuke.

"Are you willing to tell us?" asked Hiei.

"Gunah is still out there and _Tsubaki_ is still out there. She can read your minds and I don't want her to know yet. It is best if fewer people know," said Kurama. "It is also best that Spirit World not hear about Tsubaki being cuffed and released."

"I'm not a fan of this whole keeping secrets thing," said Yusuke with a worn sigh. "But I trust you, Kurama."

"This isn't blackmail, is it?" asked Hiei. "Whatever they have on you—"

"No, nothing like that. But I ask for your patience," said Kurama.

"You're rarely this merciful," said Hiei. "You feel like you owe her something. And that's why you let her go."

Silence save for the soft piano that suddenly changed key into something so poignant.

"Oh cut him a break," said Kuwabara. "He did it because it's the decent thing to do. We all agreed because none of us tried to stop him. To be honest, when Urameshi cuffed her I felt gross."

Silence between them again. The jingle of the doorbell and a welcoming greeting from hostess in the background.

Yusuke didn't verbalize it, but he was on Kurama's side. The justification for arresting Tsubaki was on Gunah's word and as the other Illusions said, they shouldn't pick a side for the hell of it. For the atmospheric fluctuations, why did those problems start recently if Tsubaki was the cause? She had been living in the human realm for sixteen years. Maybe she wasn't the cause at all…

"So I wanna ask the question everyone is dying to ask, Hiei," Kuwabara said, leaning forward and tapping his palm firmly on the table. "Are you gonna chat her up or not?"

"By all means, man, if you need a wing man I'll be more than happy ta—" Yusuke burst into a fit of giggles. Kurama covered his mouth yet the smile reached his eyes.

"Buffoons," said Hiei, stalking out of the cafe. Yusuke and Kuwabara restrained themselves, muffling their snickers until the door shut and they laughed so hard their bellies ached.

* * *

It was hard for Yusuke to imagine that it had been less than a week since he first heard about Illusions. A long, tiresome week finally came to a close and he graciously accepted it. He had gone for a leisurely walk. On the roads where Not-Tsubaki (he felt odd say Gunah) had led them in Amemiya's memories. He had strolled through streets a million times and now those streets felt unreal. Fabricated. Someone would lift the veil from his eyes and tell him he and his memories had never been real.

The slow descent into introspection was interrupted Botan's cheery call in the sky. Yusuke found himself sighing in relief.

"Trying to find the doll has been a colossal failure. Each time I corner one of you boys, it's always in someone else's hands," said Botan, flapping her lips.

"Good news, Botan. You don't have to worry about the doll. We've sorted it out," said Yusuke.

She blinked three times. "With the Illusions?"

"In case you weren't already aware, we no longer collaborate with Kuvvet."

"We saw Kuvvet's attempt at deception. It was so shocking."

"Forget about him. Kurama also made a truce with Tsubaki. Thereby we've sorted everything out," said Yusuke.

She eyed him strangely for a moment. "That wasn't sarcasm? You _couldn't_ have sort anything out."

He waved his hand dismissively. "Really. Tsubaki isn't going to cause trouble."

Her oar shifted in front of him, halting his saunter. "But the atmospheric fluctuations are getting worse and worse."

"Worse?"

"And I'm not here for the doll this time. I'm here to drag you to Spirit World."

"Does the toddler need something?"

"It would be better if Koenma told you himself. He says he needs to see you right away. He wants to tell you what they discovered during Kurama's visit yesterday."

* * *

"Yusuke, Botan, I said earlier that there was no record of the Illusions but I thought outside the box and found something." Koenma's eyes rounded into half moons as he reached into his desk drawer. "I'm sure you recognize this artifact."

The size of his palm, olive colored, decorated with balls of jade. "The Forlorn Hope? Good to see it's been fixed."

"Koenma _sir_ , aren't you being unfair? It was Kurama who came up with it," said Ogre.

"No one asked you, Ogre," said Koenma, setting the mirror gently on his desk. An animated glimmer in the glass from the souled artifact. He cleared his throat. "According to Spirit World records the Forlorn Hope has been used 1008 times. Yet when we asked the mirror, urged by Kurama, it informed us that it had in fact been used 1009 times. The most recent time when it was stolen, used by you and Kurama. We thought it hadn't been touched since it was recovered and placed into our archive. However, the mirror says it had been used only eighteen years ago."

"Sir before that the Forlorn Hope hadn't been used for hundreds of years," said Botan.

"According to our false records," said Koenma.

"But how is that possible? It's been accounted for in the vaults all this time. How could anyone have stolen it?" she asked.

"It wasn't stolen. It remained in the vault the entire time. It was taken out of it's secure shelf and used in the vault...without any of our people noticing."

Botan and Yusuke dropped in exasperation.

"Makes our side look good doesn't it?" Botan giggled nervously.

"Ok so it was used, but by whom?" asked Yusuke.

"Two names wished for their mother's freedom," said Koenma. "Kurama's says you've already heard of them. Silah and Askair."

"Those names? Silah…Askair…Silah Askair…" Two faces and names Kara drew into the sand. He pounded his forehead at the recollection. His memory was never that great, how Kara had gotten him to remember, he'd never know… "So the Illusions tried to use it, huh? After they got their wish what happened?"

"They never got their wish. They failed."

Botan and Yusuke were silent; the air was sucked out of the chamber.

"Desperate for their mother's return, they sought the help of the Forlorn Hope but they tried to fool the mirror. They used it together in hopes the mirror would spare their lives. Indignant, the Forlorn Hope took both sons without granting their wish as punishment."

"The Witch lost two sons but according to the mirror there had been a third son present."

"Kuvvet." Yusuke's voice croaked, clairvoyance like Tsubaki's film scene projections delivered an image of the fateful mirror, two faceless Illusions and Kuvvet. The three of them were supposed to use the mirror but he chickened out, that shithead. They were foolish to try and deceive the Forlorn Hope and Kuvvet was only alive because he was a coward.

No wonder Tsubaki hated his guts.

"Gunah," Yusuke finally uttered, the name's significance dawning on him in full nuance. "Is this the part where we have declared switched alliances?"

"Not so fast Yusuke. There's more you need to know about Anahtar or as you may know her, Tsubaki," said Koenma. "She had once been allied with the Witch, sympathetic to her tyrannical cause. Many Illusions were wanting visibility, open to Spirit World, the Human World and Demon World but the Witch condemned the ambition. Said it would betray everything they sought to protect. Anahtar, then known as Yeshil, agreed."

Yusuke already knew, but because she was sympathetic that means she was forever an enemy? She still hated Spirit World but in the very least they agreed that human world needed to stay safe.

"I've been in correspondence with another Illusion of high ranking and political authority. He informs me that Anahtar's punishment, bound to her is the key that keeps the Witched locked away. Making her the key means she'd have to be the one to unleash the Witch from her prison at the cost of her own existence."

That she'd die?

"The high ranking Illusion, who cuffed the key to her himself, informed me that is absolutely her intention. To release the Witch, even at the cost of herself, so the Witch and Gunah can revive the Shadow Eyes and continue their reign in their realm."

Yusuke's brows knitted. She wouldn't lift a finger in Gunah's favor. The previous night all she wanted was to go home and _freaking_ study. Why would she give it up for someone she hated?! She wouldn't. "If Tsubaki's main plan is to unleash the Witch she's doing a damn terrible job at it."

"All I'm saying Yusuke is that you have to be careful with her. Fighting Kuvvet isn't her only plan."

"You have to admit," Botan added, "Tsubaki hasn't had anything nice to say about Spirit World, which lends credibility to Koenma's warning."

"Do I ever have nice things to say about Spirit World?" Yusuke retorted, jumping up from his chair. He pressed his lips together, words filling him like an overflowing cup but instead he trudged towards the direction of the exit. "I'll get the word straight from the horse's mouth."

Botan exclaimed, "Don't Yusuke!"

* * *

Sunday practice commenced without Tsubaki. Esumi bristled, making a show of lifting her wrist, reading her lux watch, count the minutes audibly under her breath then flashing her impatience at Mikata. Mikata couldn't read Esumi as well as Tsubaki, but she hadn't yet forgiven their lead for not showing up on the previous Friday.

Noise at the stairs.

Right as Esumi centered herself in authority, behind the teacher's podium, Tsubaki arrived. Slightly late as usual but her appearance after missing for two days was the real surprise for Mikata.

* * *

"Thank you for keeping the podium warm, Esumi," said Tsubaki with a slight wobble from running up the stairs. "Ohmae-chan, I apologize for my recent string of absences, but I trust Ju-Eun, Esumi, Mao, and Mikata have made you feel welcomed."

"Ohmae-chan said she had hoped first in command would be there on Friday," said Esumi, a little too graciously reminding Tsubaki that she was neglecting her responsibilities.

Ohmae blushed so hard from the spotlight and the tension in the classroom her face almost turned purple. "I know Yabu-chan is busy working on her research. I won't be a bother," said Ohmae with a slight bow. Tsubaki wanted to pinch her freckled round cheeks. _You sweet thing, you._

"But you missed school, Tsubaki. Tamuro-san and Ubata-sensei wouldn't be keen on you missing school for research," said Esumi.

"Well, I didn't spend the day sunbathing on the beach," said Tsubaki.

"Maybe not sunbathing, but eating copious amounts of cake," said Mikata.

Tsubaki was fortunate enough to have her back turned while putting on a loose lab coat over her clothes. According to their regular waitress at the _Short Ichigo_ , whom Mikata had randomly spotted that morning before the meeting, Tsubaki had been twice. Once with Shuichi Minamino, one boy and the second occasion with Minamino and three other boys. Apparently, Mikata (since when was she that nosy?) had found out that Minamino had _coincidentally_ been truant that Friday and naturally assumed Tsubaki was involved and it was an absolutely scandal. Pft, what he did with his time was none of her business.

 _Please don_ _'t Mikata._

Tsubaki's energy was recovering at a snail's pace so she couldn't completely influence Mikata to forgo the urge, but she at least made the girl delay the inevitable confrontation. As much as Spirit World and their special four ruffled her, there was something she distinctly enjoyed in being able to candidly share the thoughts that intruded her head. The four seemed amiable with each other and she could imagine that brought a certain amount of relief to those special humans and demons. Enviable relief. Maybe she ought to tell Mikata everything since she was getting harder and harder to fool…

More noise up the steps. A deliberate stomping. Tsubaki sighed. Her coat wasn't even warm from her wearing it yet—

* * *

 _Slam!_

Yelps from the gaggle of girls in lab coats exploded in the science lab. The fuming teenager emerged from the unhinged door, trudging with conviction. They cowered into the corner-bar one. Tsubaki, chewing on her pencil eraser while opening a textbook hadn't so much as flinched at the thunderous entrance.

"Yo, what's up?" She greeted with a far too casual flair.

With sleeked back black hair and a green gakuran, a school uniform Mikata didn't recognize, the boy gritted his teeth and approached with high wide steps like something out of a yakuza film.

Ohmae looked pale, as if her soul had left her body. Mao held onto Ju-eun, who stood in front of both Mao and Ohmae. Esumi had remained poised, taking only the slightest step back. Tsubaki meanwhile still chewed on her pencil eraser, so taciturn it unnerved Mikata.

"Can the greeting. We gotta talk now." The vicious intention radiated off his body trembling with restraint to not dent the wall with an adrenaline-packed fist.

Before the girls, who slowly gathered their wits and courage to defend their first ranking classmate if necessary, Tsubaki agreed with zero fear. "Sure, let's go now."

"Tsu-Tsubaki," Mikata tore away from the corner of girls. "You're not seriously going alone?" Tsubaki's blank stare said yes.

Tsubaki's blank stare said yes.

"Don't you think that he looks kind of dangerous?"

His rough face mushed like a fist bashing on his head.

Tsubaki smiled but it was only for her benefit, manipulative, Mikata knew all too well. "Kind of dangerous? Him? Come on. Looks can be deceiving."

She removed her lab coat and messily threw her books and notes into her bag. "Continue as you were. Brief me tomorrow, Mikata."

Her friend nodded with a cold sweat on her forehead.

Esumi sighed when they left. "Since when has Yabu been involved with street gangs?"

Mikata wanted to shoot her implication down but words failed her. There was nothing to worry about. Mikata had seen Tsubaki mangle three thugs who had the misfortune of harassing the wrong pair of school girls.

* * *

Both of middle-class backgrounds, Yabu and Kumashiro households were unable to afford Aojo's extortionate tuition, matriculation, and maintenance fees. As the only two in their class to be granted full scholarships, both the top ranked two in their year, Mikata had felt an immediate kinship with Tsubaki.

Mikata had extended her affection to her and at first, Tsubaki acted aloof until one unforgettable trial.

Mikata, though of humbler background than her pristine, well bred, sheltered classmates, was barely more streetwise. She had seen Tsubaki mangle three thugs who had the misfortune of harassing the wrong pair of school girls-scratch that, girl.

The leader had shouted crude things to the verdette, all with the intention to upset and gross the girl out.

Mikata held her breath when Tsubaki paused and in a frigid voice and without an ounce of fear taunted the man, "go ahead and try."

Unnerved for a whole second, the thugs then cackled. Mikata would never forget how the common echoed with their brutish cackles.

"I'm serious." Tsubaki tossed her school bag aside without care. "If you can get a hold of me, I'll let you do whatever you want."

"Yabu-san!" Mikata tugged her classmate desperately, calculating how fast they'd have to run and the direction if they wanted to outrun them.

Yabu rolled up her sweater sleeves. Mikata, the urge for flight, dominant over fight, revving inside, could only back up against the checkered brick of their library.

The lowest ranking thug lurched forward, no fists just grabby hands. Tsubaki struck his forehead with a loud SMACK before lodging the toe of her shoe hard in his shin. If Mikata hadn't seen it she wouldn't have believed it. The second thug cocked a fist back but then _tripped_ , on air, she would have thought, but there had been something with a spark like of electricity. The second thug's face grotesque then from the shattering pain in his head before he hit the concrete.

Switch! Chills seized Mikata's torso on sight of the blade reflecting the street lamp's yellow light.

She was no believer in the occult and yet...she watched Tsubaki hypnotize the three thugs after gracefully sidestepping their sloppy hits.

"You're telling me what you're going to do before you do it." She held two fingers like a gun to her temple.

The panting, slack jawed hooligan hissed at Tsubaki's taunt but Mikata understood. Inexplicably, Tsubaki had a way of knowing, as she had with everything. Again inexplicable but it all made sense.

The man wobbled. So solidly stepped only a second prior, he wobbled like a man on a swaying ship. He grasped his temple with one hand, and then the second. The blade clanged to the ground and Tsubaki kicked it away into the gutter.

Tsubaki watched the man who had towered over Tsubaki crumbled into the fettle position, foaming through gritted teeth.

Barely aware, Mikata slumped to the damp stone, her knees finally buckling. Tsubaki yanked her bag to her shoulder and whistled at Mikata.

"I'm starving. You wanna go eat?"

Mikata's stomach twisted in such tight knots the girl couldn't imagine having an appetite ever again, but she nodded with a desperate jump to her feet.

When the rumors, naturally, spread the next day, Mikata was burdened with fifteen minutes of fame. Classmates lined up to hear her first account. Some of the details, her classmates bought but the spark and the headache, her classmates drew the line thinking she embellished the facts. Or it had been so dark her eyes played tricks.

It was at that moment Tsubaki Yabu, uncommunicative of having heard the rumors, strolled like normal in their class.

"I'm telling you that's what I saw! Tell them Tsubaki!"

Tsubaki giggled behind her hand. "It was dark Mikata and they were totally sloshed. That's why they were so easy."

But... she knew what she saw.

How did Tsubaki Yabu just know things?

How Tsubaki could accurately guess an aloof Seisho boy had been head over heels in love with their first chair bassonist, that Aojo's senior officer was having an affair that so nearly caused a district-wide scandal, when she had turned to Mikata and informed her that long term friend had harbored ferocious jealousy since Mikata got into Aojou and she hadn't. Tsubaki hadn't known her friend had applied to Aojou but then again, Mikata slowly accepted that Tsubaki just knew things as if it were written in the air in a language only she could comprehend.

Mikata accepted that Tsubaki knew that random, dangerous thug. Yet Mikata's gut swore he was no ordinary kid like her. Maybe he was cut of the same thread as Tsubaki.

* * *

Posting this today because it's my birthday :) This arc will be drawing to a close soon and I wanted to ask if I should post the sequel separately because tone and arc-wise it's very different from this one or just make this a REALLY long fic? The former is my current inclination but wanted to hear to see some reader thoughts. Cheers!


	19. Stroll Down Memory Lane

Fumes from the Industrial Bay permeated the salty sea air. A ferry docked and soon the pier filled with gaggles of people—a boisterous place for two demons to have a private conversation.

"You _really_ want to give it a try, Kurama?" asked Hiei.

Kurama had reached out to the fellow demon with certainty but it took the simple question for him to question his conviction and his plan. "It's not very cautious, is it?"

"For you, not at all. A miscalculation if anything," said Hiei. Silence between them as they overlooked the Industrial Bay where everything began and would surely end. "Yet, you still want to try, don't you?"

Before he could answer, Hiei reached into his pocket. He extended his arm and in his palm, sat Kara's lucky die.

Kurama took the die, surprised at the weight, that of three 500 yen coins. He worked the smooth die between his fingers, trying to get a reading on its energy. As with anything pertaining to the Illusions, it sat in a strange spot on the spectrum of his senses, not human, not demon, and yet not quite between them. "The weight isn't even."

"I noticed too."

"I thought my chances of rolling at least a good luck was 1/3. But there is extra weight on the lower luck faces, which by a rough estimation, means my chances are now 2/5. Still good, but—"

"Your chances of very bad luck are lower but your chances of rolling a mere bad roll are higher," said Hiei. "Do you have to use it at all?"

"My plan proceeds regardless. I have more control over _this_ gamble than I do over the events set into motion now."

"Well, if you're sure about this, give it a roll," said Hiei.

"Blow on it for good luck?" asked Kurama with a straight face.

"For _your_ sake, I'm going to interpret that as a joke," snapped Hiei.

Kurama juggled the die between his fingers before dropping it at their feet. The wooden planks had seen better days and the die, in its final tumbles landed within a tired looking wood knot, corner pointing straight up.

"Hah, won'tcha look at that," said Hiei. "You either have _very_ good luck or _very_ bad luck."

"Kara didn't explain what happens in case of a misfire," said Kurama, his humor edged with cynicism.

"Do you know how you're going to proceed from here?"

It wasn't from the heat that Kurama's forehead glistened with sweat. "I have no choice, do I?"

"But you have a dire plan involving the Illusions—about what you haven't told me— and you're going forward without knowing if you've found a pot of good luck or been cursed with an onslaught of bad luck," said Hiei, bending forward to pluck the die crafted by Illusion hands. "Hmph, _fitting,_ isn't it? Guess you'll have to make your own luck."

* * *

Yusuke glared at the baroque inspired architecture, gritted his teeth at the green square with perfectly manicured green grass framed by full panel windows, and growled at the bronze griffin statues, like guardians overlooking the square.

His school building and his apartment building was all utilitarian design from the post-war era while Aojou lavished an air of perennial antiquity. On a reflective plaque, Yusuke read much of the original campus had been destroyed in WWII firebombing so the fact the age of the building was manufactured and engineered was all the more irritating.

Did they serve crumpets with Early Grey during their designated tea break while they discussed their Caribbean holiday plans for summer vacation?

Tsubaki interrupted his mental tangent with a snicker. "Standard Japanese cuisine around here."

 _ARGH PISS OFF! I_ _'m sick of the invasive mind reading!_ Yusuke barked in his head as retaliation. "Wait!" He stopped them in the hall, almost causing skid marks on the immaculate tile, and from his pocket he pulled out the Psychic Spy Glass. He leaned forward, pressing the monocle over his eye, staring hard into her.

"Should I give a twirl?" she asked.

"Just hold still! I wanna make sure you are who you say you are," said Yusuke, turning the monocle like a focus dial on a microscope. Strange energy—Illusion energy—smoldered around her frame. Kurama's plant, still there, like a skeleton.

"Satisfied?"

"Jus' wanted ta make sure."

"Did you change your mind about not arresting me?"

"We'll talk outside. This place even smells too hoity-toity," said Yusuke, thinking of the pristine scent of the boutiques and seven-star hotel lobbies patronized by those who existed in an entirely different world than peasants like him.

"That's the floor wax. But moving somewhere is fine by me. The more private the better." Tsubaki sighed when they reached the first landing. "Not that it matters, but please know that I am not bred of the same obscenely wealthy, aristocratic fabric as most of these girls. My human social status is very middle class."

Yusuke recognized she tried to relate but even middle class she stooped heights above his meager upbringing that forever dangled dangerously close to poverty.

* * *

"Even the grass is greener here," said Yusuke, his nose twitching at the scent of freshly cut lawn. It was a Sunday, yet the shady grounds bustled with Aojo clubs and park goers.

"So you chatted with Spirit World. Do they finally have an extensive dossier on me?" Tsubaki picked at a speck of dirt stuck under her nail.

Just play her game, Kurama had stated before, Yusuke remembered perfectly. Yet could she at least stand to not put on a bored act with him? As if she had calculated everything, down to his exact words?

"They gave me more details. About what you were up to before you crash landed here."

She peered up at that. "You could have asked me instead of waiting for briefings from Spirit World."

"Well, I'm asking now. Tell me: what the hell do you want out of this?"

"Kuvvet's head, to be rid of this key so the Witch can wallow in her abyss for eternity."

Again, Tsubaki answered too easily for Yusuke's taste. Not enough to justify her vague way of speaking to them, the distance.

"Too straightforward? It's the truth." She interrupted before he opened his mouth, sensing his doubt with prickling irritation. "Then again why verbalize it when I can just show you?" Six feet of distance closed between them and Yusuke felt her hands push on his temples. Like IVs transferring what she wanted him to see, the image veiled over his mind's eye.

A sensation of falling overwhelmed him and he grabbed her wrist to steady himself as his grassy, leafy surroundings tore away, as if a curtain had been yanked, to reveal something dark and cold.

* * *

He held on for dear life, otherwise, he'd fall. He was sure of it but down was no longer below his feet. Was it above him? Beside him? Was he holding still or spinning? Where _was_ Tsubaki? He was just holding onto her but she no longer stood in front of him. He blinked trying to call the world into focus but against a dark curtain muted colors blurred and smeared without control like water paints staining a canvas. What is this place? Tsubaki?!

"Silah's mind...your own brother's mind." Tsubaki's voice whimpered in a way Yusuke had never heard. "Askair never returned. You destroyed them both."

Where is she? He fought against the whirling but felt a squeeze. Not her hands. Blue hands. Blue curls. Kuvvet? What's he doing here? This is her memory, I'm seeing it from her eyes. I can feel her _seeing_ him.

Kuvvet squeezed her hand, actually crushing her fingers in his zealous fury. "They failed when they tried to use the mirror. That had nothing to do with me, Yeshil-"

What mirror? What more had he done?

 _The Forlorn Hope. They had used it. I was right._

"Stop misnaming me."

Even for an Illusion, she was a stickler with names. He had only known her as Yeshil, his comrade, and his beloved as Yeshil, and as Anahtar she'd forever remain as a reminder of the Witch's failure. He hated her name, key, The Key, the existence he'd have to sacrifice to save his mother. If she wasn't ever released than Silah and Askair died in vain.

Yusuke could feel Kuvvet burden her with his anguish. He was no psychic or considered spiritually keen compared to Kuwabara or Genkai and still _seeing_ as Tsubaki had in that memory was all his spiritual awareness times fifty. It wasn't at all like Nagisa's memory, which felt like a gentle gum in the front of his head. Kuvvet, while pleading with Tsubaki, had all but drowned her and Yusuke believed he could lose himself.

Kuvvet's strength unmatched by any Illusion still hadn't been enough to protect his Yeshil or his mother from her ambitions.

His mother's presence, the Witch, loomed over his with gnawing shame, following like a shadow. Her power was trapped yet as if she were allowed one mode of torture by the Illusions, she haunted his existence. Her face, grotesque with shame, her amber eyes now the sickly jaundiced yellow always in the corner of his vision like a horror.

Yusuke yelled, writhing against Kuvvet's grip with all his might. Those eyes, those yellow eyes burned into his vision like flashes of lightning.

She ripped herself from his grasp, the offense plastered on his face as if she had literally slapped his cheek. Something changed within and Kuvvet knew finally that however much he was enamored with her, his passion could never compel her to feel the same.

Like how Nagisa's heartbreak rippled through Yusuke, Kuvvet's distress and grief all but shattered Yusuke from the inside.

 _I can_ _'t see no more. Get me out of here Tsubaki—no wait, I can hold just a little longer._

He crushed little Silah's mind so that all remained of him was a breathing shell yet with a dead, irretrievable conscious. She saw the mirror he spoke of in his protections.

The mirror that had consumed Yusuke and Kurama's life energy. Orbs of jade twinkled on the round mirror. What Yusuke had long known came avalanching on Tsubaki.

The Forlorn Hope the magical artifact that would grant a single wish for one life. She clapped her hands over her mouth. Kuvvet had crushed his little brother's mind, mislead Askair, all to set them up as lambs for slaughter.

"You've committed _gunah,_ sin..." She seethed.

Sin, Yusuke swallowed like a heavy pill. The weight of the name sinks Yusuke to depths but he yields to it, as Kuvvet had in that moment, the last illusion of Tsubaki ever accepting his perspective shattered to pieces.

Paralyzed by his own heart, for the first time ever, Kuvvet didn't block her hit when it scratched off a part of his cheek. Scraped flesh under Yusuke's nails, but before Kuvvet's physical pain could stun him, the scene to Yusuke's immense relief, changed.

* * *

Yusuke recognized the blond. His memory wasn't anything special but he remembered the blond Tsubaki posed as in the alley in the Industrial Bay. Nazar pleaded, pleaded for Tsubaki. Yusuke couldn't hear the precise words but he just _knew_ they conveyed utter innocence.

Another Illusion who loomed over, mute to their fervent pleas. Yusuke, squinting, barely saw him through the white-blue light he projected. A horn in his ear, cleanly bald head, angular glacial blue eyes. He must have been seven feet tall—Yusuke shut his eyes. _No more!_

"Temiz, please don't do this. I betrayed the Witch, listen to Nazar!" Yusuke pressed his palm against his raw throat, thrashed from endless shouting. A metallic _jangle_ and the uncanny sensation of snakes roping around every limb, threatening to smother him. _Chains._ He couldn't breathe as the chains constricted his torso, yanking tighter and tighter. His ribs crushed inward, but he screeched but he heard another's pained cry.

"There's no one else more deserving of this than you."

 _The chains...they're melting...no, they're sinking into my skin. Sink into my bones, organs, every fiber of my being._ He clawed at his chest, but his hands were useless. _The key,_ Temiz created a key for the sole purpose attaching it to Yeshil's being, taking away her name, her freedom, reducing her to a ploy to punish Kuvvet. He could free Jadde, the Witch, at any time, as long as he resigned to destroying Yeshil to do it. From here on, he'd be paralyzed, neither able to free the Witch nor free Yeshil without sacrificing one.

Yusuke understood it all. How could he not? He felt Temiz's condition pump in his blood, as minuscule coils in his hair, wrap like manacles on his wrists below his skin.

An omnipresent jangle as the scene changed again.

* * *

 _This isn't the same._

 _Commotion. Something is broken. Something is stolen. But there's nothing I can do._

Light again, soothing this time, embraced Yusuke. The bind on his chest cracked, splintering until it shattered like glass. After being confined for so long, Yusuke hugged himself tightly, holding himself as if wisps of him about dissipate like smoke.

 _This place is different. Why can't I see anything?_

Another wail. His limbs wanted to float away so he screamed and screamed.

He was embraced. He can't hold his head up but something, a hand, a mother's hand, cups the back of it. Tawny hair that hadn't seen a brush in days and heavy bags under eyes on a sympathetic face.

"Shh, shh, yes, I know. It's your first night home, but I have you safe and sound."

 _Who is this? Why is her energy signature human? Why am I so much weaker than before? This isn't the same seal Temiz put on me. It doesn't feel like a seal at all. None of this feels like an illusion. Why can't I move like before? I'm not confined but my body is, not, listening to me!_

The frustration draws more wails.

"It's my turn to rock you to— _emhaahhhh_ —sleep," she said, cradling the crying baby with a yawn. _"_ There, there, Tsubaki."

Finally, some information an Illusion could read. Tenderness. Affection. Patience from the woman despite great exhaustion.

 _What's a Tsubaki? Why is the human calling me that?_

 _It's your name,_ Yusuke wanted to tell the memory. _She's your mother and she gave you your name when you stumbled into this world._

 _This is far too much. For now. Let it all dawn on me again later._

Another seal, Yusuke sensed, this time of her own making. Her memories and abilities would return later when her fragile body was old enough to cope.

The natural familiarity of his own body slowly returned and finally, the pressure lifted from his mind's eye.

* * *

Feeling like a clumsy baby himself, Yusuke tripped into Tsubaki, catching his breath.

How long as he been in her memories? Minutes? Seconds? The time of day was the same, the same people still ambled on the lawn, the afternoon light still beaming.

"I gotcha," said Tsubaki, relieving him of the urge to compose himself. He just needed a minute for his muscles to acclimate and his brain to stop spinning. Much like after hopping out of Nagisa's memory and strolling down the same street again in real life, deja vu made him pause and hold onto Tsubaki's corporeal body. _This is reality, right? Not a memory._

How easily he breathed again, the glorious smell of wet grass, the chirp of the birds the warmth of early summer, the subtle pinks of the cherry blossoms, how his body no longer weighed extra fifty pounds.

"Ya know? I'm not a good judge of much, but I think I get you Tsubaki," said Yusuke. "Sounds like you were screwed over after trying to make things right. I get you, 100%."

A tender squeeze around his waist.

"You have no idea what that means to me," she said.

* * *

AN: Hi everybody! I want to share my thanks to everyone who has reviewed since the last post!

Yileen-thank you so, so much for your amazing support. I can't believe someone has stuck by this fic for this long and even as a writer, I struggle to put into words how much it has meant to me.

allebiouqruop-thank you for reviewing every chapter! I still get tongue-tied thinking about the amazing review you wrote for this fic on your tumblr. Peeps, please check it out, allebiuqroup does great work on yyhfanfiction at tumblr, posts great prompts, writer inspiration, and I HIGHLY recommend you follow it!

Pia-thank you! I know a lot of readers are reluctant about OC fics and thank you for giving this one a chance and your time. I'm glad you enjoy Tsubaki's character and it brings me joy to hear that the canon characters sound IN character :D I sometimes wonder if I did the premise _wrong_ and overly complicated, so your encouragement really means a lot to me.

Mayacompany-thank you again for your input on my dilemma! I'm still flipping and flopping on it, but regardless, that sequel IS. GOING. TO. BE. POSTED. Mark my words. I've written so much of it and I can't wait to share it with you all :D

This is definitely a shorter chapter but I liked ending on that peaceful moment with Tsubaki and Yusuke, especially after Yusuke charged into her classroom like a raging bull. IIRC, I mentioned I wrote the majority of this fic for Nanowrimo 2016 and Nano 2017 is about to start! This time of year brings good memories for me and this fic.

Til next time!


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